Termite participation in the soil-forming processes of 'murundus' structures in the semi-arid region of Brazil
Henrique Jesus de Souza, Jacques Hubert Charles Delabie, George Andrade Sodré
Abstract
Regularly spaced earth mounds called “murundus” are scattered in several landscapes in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Although recent evidence indicates that termites are involved in the building of murundus, the contribution of these insects to soil-forming processes in those structures remains poorly understood. In this study, we tested a set of hypotheses to examine whether there are consistent evidence for suggesting the participation of termites in the formation of murundus soils. Morphological and physicochemical features of murundus were [...]
Topics & Concepts
AridEarth scienceSoil waterEcologyGeographyGeologySoil scienceAgroforestryEnvironmental scienceBiologyInsect and Arachnid Ecology and BehaviorPlant and animal studiesEcology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies