Termites: The Neglected Soil Engineers of Tropical Soils
Termites: The Neglected Soil Engineers of Tropical Soils
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DOI：
10.1097/ss.0000000000000119
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发表时间：
2016-03-01
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Abbasi, Shahid Abbas
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Jouquet, Pascal;Bottinelli, Nicolas;Abbasi, Shahid Abbas
白蚁无疑是热带和亚热带土壤中的重要土壤生物。他们是土壤工程师，影响土壤的物理、化学和生物特性，从而影响热带和亚热带生态系统的水动态。为了了解白蚁对土壤的影响，需要深入了解白蚁的生态需求和建筑策略以及在地方和区域尺度上调节白蚁多样性的机制。白蚁对土壤性质和水动态的影响可以在四个不同的尺度上区分：（i）在景观尺度上，白蚁充当异质性驱动因素； (ii) 在土壤剖面尺度上，白蚁充当土壤生物扰动者； (iii) 在总体规模上，他们充当总体重组者； （iv）最后，在粘土矿物层面，它们可以充当风化剂。最后，我们讨论了过去 10 年在土壤科学主要期刊上发表的有关白蚁工程的最新文献，并提出了新的研究主题，这些主题可能有助于提高人们对白蚁对土壤性质和水动力学影响的了解。
Termites are undoubtedly key soil organisms in tropical and subtropical soils. They are soil engineers in influencing the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils and, consequently, water dynamics in tropical and subtropical ecosystems. To appreciate the effect of termites on soil, there is a need for a thorough understanding of the ecological needs and building strategies of termites and the mechanisms regulating termite diversity at local and regional scales. Termite impacts on soil properties and water dynamics can be differentiated at four different scales: (i) at the landscape scale, where termites act as heterogeneity drivers; (ii) at the soil profile scale, where termites act as soil bioturbators; (iii) at the aggregate scale, where they act as aggregate reorganizers; (iv) and last, at the clay mineral scale, where they can act as weathering agents. Last, we discuss recent literature on termite engineering published in the last 10 years in the major journals of soil science and suggest new research topics that could contribute to improved knowledge of the impact of termites on soil properties and water dynamics.