Termites and Soils By K. E. Lee and T. G. Wood London: Academic Press (1971), pp. 251, £4
Termites and Soils By K. E. Lee and T. G. Wood London: Academic Press (1971), pp. 251, £4
复制标题
《白蚁和土壤》作者 K. E. Lee 和 T. G. Wood 伦敦：学术出版社 (1971)，第 251 页，4 英镑
作者：
W. Sands
要研究白蚁对许多白蚁生活的热带土壤的影响是极其困难的。观察它们的巢穴、觅食习惯、消化能力等等都很有趣，但在它们的数量得到充分估计之前，它们的活动的总资产负债表，无论是有益的还是有害的，都无法量化。正如作者在附录中所指出的那样，地下白蚁种群的采样问题仍然是白蚁生态学中一个无法克服的障碍。对于土堆建造者来说，仍然存在许多问题，但至少这些地上结构可以被计算并分析它们的材料。甚至可以对规模较小的土丘进行取样，以研究它们的种群和季节变化。因此，毫不奇怪，大多数关于白蚁生态学的工作都与土丘建筑物种有关。显然，白蚁土丘最终会通过侵蚀回到土壤中，在以前发表的著作和本卷所包含的原始著作中，这种关系的这一方面受到了关注。这本书反映了地理偏见，这种偏见不可避免地产生于研究工作者的所在地。因此，澳大利亚的证据之所以占优势，仅仅是因为其他地方的证据很少。尽管两位作者表示决心在自己的作品和世界其他地方的作品之间保持平衡，但这是不可避免的。由于手稿在出版前已提交给该领域的其他专家，因此在某种程度上消除了批评。除此之外，很难指责这些作者处理他们的主题的方式。他们对与其既定目标严格相关的所有方面的处理都是彻底和简洁的。外围功能，如分类和控制进行了简要处理，读者是指更全面的来源。因此，他们已经取得了相当大的壮举，总结了广泛的书目下一系列精心挑选的章节标题和副标题。这些有助于快速参考特定领域的利益，并在同一时间表明白蚁对土壤的影响的多样性。参考文献清单很长，值得注意的是，首先是相对较少的研究白蚁生态学与土壤的关系的作品，其次是作者从中提取有用信息的众多其他来源。这本书有时很重，但这并不减损它作为一本紧凑而全面的参考书的巨大价值，对所有热带土壤生态学的学生来说都是不可或缺的。它将通过提供一个坚实的基础平台，对新的研究产生强大的刺激。
It is extremely difficult to study the effects of termites upon the tropical soils in which many of them live. Observations on their nests, feeding habits, digestion, and so forth, are interesting, but until their populations can be estimated adequately the total balance-sheet of their activities, for benefit or detriment, cannot be quantified. The problem of sampling subterranean termite populations remains an unsurmounted obstacle in termite ecology, as the authors point out in an appendix on the subject. With mound builders many problems remain but at least these above-ground structures can be counted and their materials analyzed. The less massive mounds can even be sampled to study their populations and seasonal changes. It is therefore hardly surprising that most of the work done on termite ecology has been concerned with mound building species. Obviously termite mounds will all in time return to the soil by erosion, and it is this aspect of the relationship that has received attention, both in previously published work and in the original work included in this volume. The book reflects the geographical bias which has inevitably arisen from the location of research workers. Thus there is a preponderance of Australian evidence simply because of its paucity from elsewhere. This was unavoidable despite the authors' stated determination to keep a balance between their own work and that of the rest of the world. Since the manuscript was submitted to other specialists in the subject before publication, criticism is to some extent disarmed. Apart from this, it is hard to fault the way in which these authors have handled their subject. Their treatment of all aspects strictly relevant to their stated aim is thorough and concise. Peripheral features such as classification and control are dealt with briefly and the reader is referred to more comprehensive sources. Thus they have achieved the considerable feat of summarizing an extensive bibliography under a series of well chosen chapter headings and subheadings. These facilitate quick reference to particular fields of interest and at the same time indicate the variety of the effects that termites have on soils. The reference list is long, and remarkable firstly for the relatively small number of works that have set out to study termite ecology in relation to soils, and secondly for the multitude of other sources from which the authors have extracted useful information. The book is heavy going at times but this does not detract from its immense value as a compact and comprehensive reference book, indispensable to all students of tropical soil ecology. It will generate a powerful stimulus to new research by providing a firm platform on which to base it.