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Termites (Isoptera) in forest ecosystems of Cat Tien National Park (Southern Vietnam)

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Abstract

The species composition, abundance and colony sizes of terrestrial termites were studied in five forest habitats of Cat Tien National Park, Southern Vietnam. Twenty-four species belonging to Rhinotermitidae (1 species) and Termitidae (23 species, mostly Macrotermitinae), were found in mounds and in soil samples. The density of inhabited termite nests in different habitats averaged 68 per hectare (range 44–106), most nests belonged to Macrotermes spp. Six mounds of dominant species (Globitermes sulphureus, Microcerotermes burmanicus, Macrotermes carbonarius, M. gilvus, M. malacensis and Hypotermes obscuriceps) were destructively sampled. The number of termites in the nests ranged from 65 000 to 3 150 000 individuals with the biomass ranging from 185 to 2440 g live weight. The abundance of foraging termites in soil and litter averaged 60 ind./m2.The total abundance of Macrotermes species alone could conservatively be estimated as 2.5 million individuals and 20.5 kg live weight per hectare. Four species dominating in the studied habitats (M. carbonarius, M. gilvus, M. malaccensis, and H. obscuriceps) belong to active litter decomposers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, Moscow, 119992, Russia

    N. V. Belyaeva

  2. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 33 Leninskii pr., Moscow, 119071, Russia

    A. V. Tiunov

  3. Joint Russian-Vietnamese Research and Technological Center, Van Huen St., Ngua Do, Vietnam

    N. V. Belyaeva & A. V. Tiunov

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  1. N. V. Belyaeva
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  2. A. V. Tiunov
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Correspondence to A. V. Tiunov.

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Original Russian Text © N.V. Belyaeva, A.V. Tiunov, 2010, published in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk, Seriya Biologicheskaya, 2010, No. 4, pp. 442–450.

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Belyaeva, N.V., Tiunov, A.V. Termites (Isoptera) in forest ecosystems of Cat Tien National Park (Southern Vietnam). Biol Bull Russ Acad Sci 37, 374–381 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1062359010040072

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