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  • Termites mitigate the effects of drought in tropical rainforest

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    Author(s)
    Ashton, LA
    Griffiths, HM
    Parr, CL
    Evans, TA
    Didham, RK
    Hasan, F
    Teh, YA
    Tin, HS
    Vairappan, CS
    Eggleton, P
    Griffith University Author(s)
    Ashton, Louise A.
    Year published
    2019
    Metadata
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    Abstract
    Termites perform key ecological functions in tropical ecosystems, are strongly affected by variation in rainfall, and respond negatively to habitat disturbance. However, it is not known how the projected increase in frequency and severity of droughts in tropical rainforests will alter termite communities and the maintenance of ecosystem processes. Using a large-scale termite suppression experiment, we found that termite activity and abundance increased during drought in a Bornean forest. This increase resulted in accelerated litter decomposition, elevated soil moisture, greater soil nutrient heterogeneity, and higher seedling ...
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    Termites perform key ecological functions in tropical ecosystems, are strongly affected by variation in rainfall, and respond negatively to habitat disturbance. However, it is not known how the projected increase in frequency and severity of droughts in tropical rainforests will alter termite communities and the maintenance of ecosystem processes. Using a large-scale termite suppression experiment, we found that termite activity and abundance increased during drought in a Bornean forest. This increase resulted in accelerated litter decomposition, elevated soil moisture, greater soil nutrient heterogeneity, and higher seedling survival rates during the extreme El Niño drought of 2015–2016. Our work shows how an invertebrate group enhances ecosystem resistance to drought, providing evidence that the dual stressors of climate change and anthropogenic shifts in biotic communities will have various negative consequences for the maintenance of rainforest ecosystems.
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    Journal Title
    SCIENCE
    Volume
    363
    Issue
    6423
    DOI
    https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aau9565
    Copyright Statement
    © 2019 Science. This is the author-manuscript version of this paper. Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal's website for access to the definitive, published version.
    Subject
    Terrestrial ecology
    Climate change impacts and adaptation
    Publication URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/10072/383395
    Collection
    • Journal articles

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