Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Termites also interact with a large variety of invertebrate and vertebrate animals
through positive (mutualism, symbiosis), neutral (commensalism) or negative (predation,
parasitism) associations (Sections III.4.3.2.7 and IV.5.4). Finally, the structure of plant
communities and their growth are profoundly modified in the termitosphere (Section IV.5.4).
5.3
Interactions between termites and the non-living environment
The major ecological role of termites is the breakdown of dead plant materials
(Figure IV.61). In ecosystems where the termitosphere is well developed, termites
strongly influence energy flows and nutrient cycling characteristics by consuming
much of the dead secondary production of the higher plant communities. Further, part of
this energy is expended in modifying the soil and above-ground environments through
the creation of biogenic structures located in the soil, at the surface within dead or
living plant materials or at various heights in the arboreal stratum (Chapter III.4.3.2.2).
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