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The University of Pretoria (UP) recently participated in an international study led by the University of Miami to investigate termite and microbial wood discovery and decay.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a southern African perspective, this study shows how important termites are in the decay of wood, particularly in dry savannahs,\u201d says Professor Mark Robertson of UP\u2019s Department of Zoology and Entomology.<\/p>\n
Most people think of termites as the little wood-devouring white ants which eat away at patios and wendy houses but those termite species are only 4% of all termite species on earth.<\/p>\n
Termites are critical in natural ecosystems, especially in the tropics, because they help recycle dead wood from trees.<\/p>\n UP said in a press release that \u201cwithout such \u201cdecayers\u201d, the environment would be piled high with dead plants and animals.\u201d But new research indicates that these energetic, wood-consuming insects could soon be moving towards the North and South poles as global temperatures rise as a result of climate change.<\/p>\n Professor Catherine Parr and PhD student Katherine Bunney were instrumental in UP\u2019s contribution to the global study, particularly from the perspective of termite activity and biodiversity in the southern hemisphere.<\/p>\n Researchers from UP conducted field experiments in a wet savannah near Hoedspruit and further north in much more arid savannah in the Nwanedi Nature Reserve, using wood blocks in decomposition bags.<\/p>\n \u201cUpon returning to collect our wood decomposition bags after just six months, I was intrigued to discover that the contents of every \u2018open\u2019 bag which allowed access to termites, were almost entirely consumed,\u201d Bunney said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe wood blocks were hollowed out, leaving just a thin shell of wood, and were filled with termite sheeting soil and dead termites. In contrast, the closed bags were just as they had been left six months prior. The Nwanedi Nature Reserve is incredibly dry; it\u2019s hot with a lot of bare ground. In summer, it was too hot to do much fieldwork after 9am. This is a seemingly inhospitable place, yet termite activity is so high,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Through this study, which was led by University of Miami Professor Amy Zanne, researchers learned that termites are pivotal when it comes to breaking down wood, contributing to the earth\u2019s carbon cycle.<\/p>\n They also discovered that termites are significantly sensitive to temperature and rainfall; this means that as temperatures rise, the insect\u2019s role in wood decay will likely expand beyond the tropics.<\/p>\n \u201cWith temperatures warming, the impact of termites on the planet could be huge,\u201d says Zanne, the Aresty chair of Tropical Ecology in the College of Arts and Sciences\u2019 Department of Biology.<\/p>\n For the study, Zanne, along with more than 100 collaborators, studied locations across the globe where bacteria and fungi (microbes) and termites consume dead wood.<\/p>\n They investigated how temperature and rainfall affected the discovery and decay of wood by using the same experimental set-up at more than 130 sites in a variety of habitats across six continents.<\/p>\n Their results suggest that areas with high termite activity should increase as the earth becomes warmer and drier. \u201cTermites had their biggest effects in places like tropical savannahs, seasonal forests and subtropical deserts,\u201d Zanne explains.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing involved in the global wood project was a major step for my research.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was fascinating to see how the regional-scale data I collected in Brazil was related to the global patterns found in this paper,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Zanne says the chance to spearhead a global-scale research endeavour was extremely rewarding.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is one of the most incredible projects I\u2019ve worked on. It was truly international collaboration.<\/p>\n \u201cOur ability to better understand wood decay and parts of the carbon cycle on a global scale is now stronger because of this research,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n The study, \u201cTermites sensitivity to temperature effects global wood decay rates\u201d, was published in the journal Science and is also available online.<\/p>\n