EFFECT OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS ON THE ABUNDANCE AND DIVERSITY OF TERMITES AND OTHER ARTHROPODS IN TERMITE MOUNDS IN UYO, AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA
Abstract
Termites are generally regarded as pests, although they have some beneficial roles to play in the ecosystem, particularly in the soil. This study was conducted between January 2018 and April 2018, to determine the effect of physico-chemical parametrs on abundance and diversity of termites and other arthropods in termite mounds in Uinversity of Uyo Community. Soil samples were randomly collected from six termite mounds from two sites for physiochemical parameters analysis and these were temperature, pH, moisture content, nitrogen, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, sodium, potassium, manganese and iron.. The termites and other arthropods were preserved in 70% ethanol. Temperature and moisture content, copper, sodium and iron were significant. The results revealed that the physicochemical parameters affected the termite species abundance as station 1 (539) had relatively more of the termite species than station 2 (551), and also affected the diversity of the termites as station 1 (0.89) had relatively more diversity of the termites than station 2 (0.66). Also from the results, station 1 (2.06) had relatively more diversity of the other arthropod species identified in the study area than station 2 (1.59). Macrotermes bellicosus and Odontermes badius termite species were identified. Musca domestica, Anopheles gambiae, Lasius sp, Archispirostreptus sp, Camponotus sp, Missulena sp, Chorthippus sp, Acheta sp and Blatta orientalis were the other arthropods collected and identified. Macrotermes bellicosus (59.93 %; 63.52 %) was the most abundance and dorminant of the termite species identified in the study areas. Lasius sp (45; 25.93 %)
References
Afolabi, S. G., Ezenwa, M. I. S and Dauda, A. (2014). Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Mound Materials and Surrounding Soils of Different Habitats of Two Termite Species in Minna, Nigeria. Production Agriculture and Technology. 10(2): 186-192.
Aiki, I. P., Majeed, Q., Adamu, T., Bandiya, H. M. and Suleiman, M. (2013). A Survey of Termites Species Found Within Zuru Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Nigeria. International Journal of Applied Research and Technology. 2(6): 169 – 173.
Association of Official Analytical Chemist (AOAC). (2010). Official Methods of Analysis of Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 18th Edition, Washington, DC.
Bartel, R. A., Haddaad, N. M. and Wright, J. P. (2010). Ecosystem engineers maintain a rare species of termites. Oikes. 119:883-890.
Bignell, D. E. and Eggleton P. (2002). Termites in ecosystems, p. 363−387. In: T. Abe; M. Higashi & D. E. Bignell (eds). Termites: Evolution, Sociality, Symbioses, Ecology. Dordrecht. Kluwer Academic Publishers, 466.
Cancello, E. M., Silva, R. R., Vasconcellos, A., Reis, Y. T. and Oliveira, L. M. (2014). Latitudinal variation in termite species richness and abundance along the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Hotspot. Biotropica. 46(4). 441-450.
Choosai, C., Mathieu, J., Hanboonsong, Y. and Jouquet, P. (2009). Termite mounds and dykes are biodiversity refuges in paddy fields in north-eastern Thailand, Journal of Environmental Conservation. 36: 71-79.
Constantino, R. (1999). An illustration key to Neotropical termite genera (Insecta: Isoptera) based primarily on soldiers. Insect Systematics and Evolution. 31: 463-472.
Dahlsjo, C. A. L., Parr, C. L., Malhi, Y., Meir, P., Eggleton, P. (2014). Describing termite assemblage structure in a Peruvian lowland tropical rain forest: A comparison of two alternative methods. Insect Society. 40-41.
Ekundayo, E.O. and Orhue, E. R. (2002). Properties of termite mounds soil in the Niger Delta region of Southern Nigeria. J. Sci. Technol. Res., 14: 15-21.
Glaciela, K., Julio, C. P., Jaime, A. A., Deise, C. S. and João, F.B. (2006). Termite Activity in Relation to Natural Grassland Soil Attributes. Science and Agriculture. 63 (6): 583-588.
Harvey M.S., Yen A. L., Milledge G.A. (1989): Worms to Wasps: An Illustrated Guide to Australia’s Terrestrial Invertebrates. Melbourne, Oxford University Press: 201.
Hughes, W. O. (2008). Ancestral monogamy shows kin selection is key to the Evolution of Eusociality. Science 320:1213-1216.
Holt, J. A. and Lepage, M. (2002). Termites and soil properties, pp. 389–407. In T. Abe, D. E. Bignell and M. Higashi (eds.), Termites: Evolution, Sociality, Symbioses, Ecology. Kluwer Academic Publ., Dordrecht, NL.
Jones, D. T. and Eggleton, P. (2000). Sampling Termite Assemblages in Tropical Forests: Testing a Rapid Biodiversity Assessment Protocol. Journal of Applied Ecology. 37: 191–203.
Kambharnpati S. and Eggleton, P. (2000). Taxonomy and phylogeny of termites. In: Abe T,Bignell DE, Higashi M, Editors. Termites: evolution, sociality, symbioses, ecology. Kluwer Academic Publishers. 1-23.
Lefebvre, T., Chaline, N., Limousin, D., Dupont, S. and Bagneres, A. G. (2009). The phyllogeographic structure of an Island subspecies of termites Reticulitermes lucifongus corsicus. BMC Evolutionary Biology 8:38-43.
Levick, S. R., Asner, G. P., Kennedy-Bowdoin, T. and Knapp, D. E. (2010). The spatial extent of termite influences on herbivore browsing in an African savannah. Biological Conservation. 143: 2462-2467.
Malaka, S. L. (2016). Insects and the Economy. Are Termites Devourers or Builders? A Public Lecture. The Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, Nigeria. 105.
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA). (2005).Available:https//www.org/sites/defaults/PD F/ecosystem…/MEA-A-Toolkit-pdf (Retrieved from May 26, 2020. )
Susumu, S. A., Sadahro, Y., Toshiyuki, W. (2009). Soil particle selection by mound – building termite Macrotermes bellicosus on a sandy loam soil catena in Nigerian tropical savanna. Tropical Ecology. 449-452
Tathiane, S.S., Carlos, E.G., Leila, S.L, Helga, D.A., Joao, H.M., Manoel, R.A and Teresa, T.G. (2009). Chemical, physical and micromorphological properties of termite mounds and adjacent soils along a toposequence in Zona da Mata, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Catena. 76: 107–113.
Timothy, M. J., Corbin, C. C. (2009). Effect of cellulose concentration on the feeding preferences of the termite Reticulitermes flavipes (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae). Sociobiology. 1(53):3
Wekhe, C., Ugbomeh, A. P., Ebere, N. and Bawo, D. D. S. (2019). Subterranean Termites of University Environment in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Asian Journal of Biology. 8(1): 1-10.
FUDMA Journal of Sciences
