Origin and Alteration of Organic Matter in Termite Mounds from Different Feeding Guilds of the Amazon Rainforests
The impact of termites on nutrient cycling and tropical soil formation depends on their feeding habits and related material transformation. The identification of food sources, however, is difficult, because they are variable and changed by termite activity and nest construction. Here, we related the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | Inglés |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science
2015
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/94093 |
| _version_ | 1855541539581722624 |
|---|---|
| author | Siebers, N. Martius, C. Eckhardt, K-U. García, M.V.B. Leinweber, P. Amelung, Wulf |
| author_browse | Amelung, Wulf Eckhardt, K-U. García, M.V.B. Leinweber, P. Martius, C. Siebers, N. |
| author_facet | Siebers, N. Martius, C. Eckhardt, K-U. García, M.V.B. Leinweber, P. Amelung, Wulf |
| author_sort | Siebers, N. |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | The impact of termites on nutrient cycling and tropical soil formation depends on their feeding habits and related material transformation. The identification of food sources, however, is difficult, because they are variable and changed by termite activity and nest construction. Here, we related the sources and alteration of organic matter in nests from seven different termite genera and feeding habits in the Terra Firme rainforests to the properties of potential food sources soil, wood, and microepiphytes. Chemical analyses comprised isotopic composition of C and N, cellulosic (CPS), non-cellulosic (NCPS), and N-containing saccharides, and molecular composition screening using pyrolysis-field ionization mass spectrometry (Py-FIMS). The isotopic analysis revealed higher soil δ13C (-27.4‰) and δ15N (6.6‰) values in nests of wood feeding Nasutitermes and Cornitermes than in wood samples (δ13C = -29.1‰, δ15N = 3.4‰), reflecting stable-isotope enrichment with organic matter alterations during or after nest construction. This result was confirmed by elevated NCPS:CPS ratios, indicating a preferential cellulose decomposition in the nests. High portions of muramic acid (MurAc) pointed to the participation of bacteria in the transformation processes. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) revealed increasing geophagy in the sequence Termes < Embiratermes < Anoplotermes and increasing xylophagy for Cornitermes < Nasutitermes, and that the nest material of Constrictotermes was similar to the microepiphytes sample, confirming the report that Constrictotermes belongs to the microepiphyte-feeders. We therewith document that nest chemistry of rainforest termites shows variations and evidence of modification by microbial processes, but nevertheless it primarily reflects the trophic niches of the constructors. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace94093 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publishDateRange | 2015 |
| publishDateSort | 2015 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science |
| publisherStr | Public Library of Science |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace940932025-06-17T08:24:21Z Origin and Alteration of Organic Matter in Termite Mounds from Different Feeding Guilds of the Amazon Rainforests Siebers, N. Martius, C. Eckhardt, K-U. García, M.V.B. Leinweber, P. Amelung, Wulf soil soil chemical properties nutrient transport rain forests The impact of termites on nutrient cycling and tropical soil formation depends on their feeding habits and related material transformation. The identification of food sources, however, is difficult, because they are variable and changed by termite activity and nest construction. Here, we related the sources and alteration of organic matter in nests from seven different termite genera and feeding habits in the Terra Firme rainforests to the properties of potential food sources soil, wood, and microepiphytes. Chemical analyses comprised isotopic composition of C and N, cellulosic (CPS), non-cellulosic (NCPS), and N-containing saccharides, and molecular composition screening using pyrolysis-field ionization mass spectrometry (Py-FIMS). The isotopic analysis revealed higher soil δ13C (-27.4‰) and δ15N (6.6‰) values in nests of wood feeding Nasutitermes and Cornitermes than in wood samples (δ13C = -29.1‰, δ15N = 3.4‰), reflecting stable-isotope enrichment with organic matter alterations during or after nest construction. This result was confirmed by elevated NCPS:CPS ratios, indicating a preferential cellulose decomposition in the nests. High portions of muramic acid (MurAc) pointed to the participation of bacteria in the transformation processes. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) revealed increasing geophagy in the sequence Termes < Embiratermes < Anoplotermes and increasing xylophagy for Cornitermes < Nasutitermes, and that the nest material of Constrictotermes was similar to the microepiphytes sample, confirming the report that Constrictotermes belongs to the microepiphyte-feeders. We therewith document that nest chemistry of rainforest termites shows variations and evidence of modification by microbial processes, but nevertheless it primarily reflects the trophic niches of the constructors. 2015 2018-07-03T10:56:56Z 2018-07-03T10:56:56Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/94093 en Open Access Public Library of Science Siebers, N., Martius, C., Eckhardt, K-U., Garcia, M.V.B., Leinweber, P., Amelung, W.. 2015. Origin and Alteration of Organic Matter in Termite Mounds from Different Feeding Guilds of the Amazon Rainforests PLoS ONE, 10 (4) : e0123790.. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0123790 |
| spellingShingle | soil soil chemical properties nutrient transport rain forests Siebers, N. Martius, C. Eckhardt, K-U. García, M.V.B. Leinweber, P. Amelung, Wulf Origin and Alteration of Organic Matter in Termite Mounds from Different Feeding Guilds of the Amazon Rainforests |
| title | Origin and Alteration of Organic Matter in Termite Mounds from Different Feeding Guilds of the Amazon Rainforests |
| title_full | Origin and Alteration of Organic Matter in Termite Mounds from Different Feeding Guilds of the Amazon Rainforests |
| title_fullStr | Origin and Alteration of Organic Matter in Termite Mounds from Different Feeding Guilds of the Amazon Rainforests |
| title_full_unstemmed | Origin and Alteration of Organic Matter in Termite Mounds from Different Feeding Guilds of the Amazon Rainforests |
| title_short | Origin and Alteration of Organic Matter in Termite Mounds from Different Feeding Guilds of the Amazon Rainforests |
| title_sort | origin and alteration of organic matter in termite mounds from different feeding guilds of the amazon rainforests |
| topic | soil soil chemical properties nutrient transport rain forests |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/94093 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT siebersn originandalterationoforganicmatterintermitemoundsfromdifferentfeedingguildsoftheamazonrainforests AT martiusc originandalterationoforganicmatterintermitemoundsfromdifferentfeedingguildsoftheamazonrainforests AT eckhardtku originandalterationoforganicmatterintermitemoundsfromdifferentfeedingguildsoftheamazonrainforests AT garciamvb originandalterationoforganicmatterintermitemoundsfromdifferentfeedingguildsoftheamazonrainforests AT leinweberp originandalterationoforganicmatterintermitemoundsfromdifferentfeedingguildsoftheamazonrainforests AT amelungwulf originandalterationoforganicmatterintermitemoundsfromdifferentfeedingguildsoftheamazonrainforests |