Publication: Effect of Fungus-Growing Termite on Soil CO2 Emission at Termitaria Scale in Dry Evergreen Forest, Thailand
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Issued Date
2021
Resource Type
Language
eng
Rights
Mahidol University
Rights Holder(s)
Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies Mahidol University
Bibliographic Citation
Environment and Natural Resources Journal. Vol. 19, No. 6 (Nov-Dec 2021), 503-513
Suggested Citation
Warin Boonriam, Pongthep Suwanwaree, Sasitorn Hasin, Phuvasa Chanonmuang, Taksin Archawakom, Akinori Yamada Effect of Fungus-Growing Termite on Soil CO2 Emission at Termitaria Scale in Dry Evergreen Forest, Thailand. Environment and Natural Resources Journal. Vol. 19, No. 6 (Nov-Dec 2021), 503-513. Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/63931
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Authors
Journal Issue
EnNRJ Vol. 19 No. 6
(2021)
Thesis
Title
Effect of Fungus-Growing Termite on Soil CO2 Emission at Termitaria Scale in Dry Evergreen Forest, Thailand
Other Contributor(s)
Mahidol University. Faculty of Environment and Resource Studies
Suranaree University of Technology. Institute of Science. School of Biology
Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University under the Royal Patronage. College of Innovative Management. Innovation of Environmental Management
Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research. Expert Centre of Innovation Clean Energy and Environment
Royal Forest Department. Sakaerat Environmental Research Station
Tokyo Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Sciences
Suranaree University of Technology. Institute of Science. School of Biology
Valaya Alongkorn Rajabhat University under the Royal Patronage. College of Innovative Management. Innovation of Environmental Management
Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research. Expert Centre of Innovation Clean Energy and Environment
Royal Forest Department. Sakaerat Environmental Research Station
Tokyo Institute of Technology. Department of Biological Sciences
Abstract
Termites are one of the major contributors to high spatial variability in soil respiration. Although epigeal termite mounds are considered as a point of high CO2 effluxes, the patterns of mound CO2 effluxes are different, especially the mound of fungus-growing termites in a tropical forest. This study quantified the effects of a fungus-growing termite (Macrotermes carbonarius) associated with soil CO2 emission by considering their nesting pattern in dry evergreen forest, Thailand. A total of six mounds of M. carbonarius were measured for CO2 efflux rates on their mounds and surrounding soils in dry and wet seasons. Also, measurement points were investigated for the active underground passages at the top 10% of among efflux rates. The mean rate of CO2 emission from termitaria of M. carbonarius was 7.66 µmol CO2/m2/s, consisting of 2.94 and 9.11 µmol CO2/m2/s from their above mound and underground passages (the rate reached up to 50.00 µmol CO2/m2/s), respectively. While the CO2 emission rate from the surrounding soil alone was 6.86 µmol CO2/m2/s. The results showed that the termitaria of M. carbonarius contributed 8.4% to soil respiration at the termitaria scale. The study suggests that fungus-growing termites cause a local and strong variation in soil respiration through underground passages radiating out from the mounds in dry evergreen forest.