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Nitrogen fixation by intact colonies of the termite Nasutitermes corniger

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Summary

Whole colonies of the arboreal termite Nasutitermes corniger (lsoptera, Termitidae, Nasutitermitinae) from a Costa Rican rainforest were assayed for nitrogen fixation by the acetylene reduction method, using a 21-1 test chamber. Nitrogenase activity was positively correlated with termite biomass for the nexts examined, providing the experiment was performed within 2 h of removal of the colony from the field. Total colony fixation rates of 0.25–1.0 mg N per colony per hour indicate a nitrogen doubling time of 200–600 days, thereby making possible complete replacement of the nest population 1–2 times per year.

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Author notes

  1. G. D. Prestwich & B. L. Bentley

    Present address: Department of Ecology and Evolution, State University of New York, 11794, Stony Brook, Long Island, New York, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. La Selva Field Station of the Organization for Tropical Studies, Heredia Province, Costa Rica

    G. D. Prestwich & B. L. Bentley

  2. Department of Chemistry, State University of New York, 11794, Stony Brook, Long Island, New York, USA

    G. D. Prestwich

Authors
  1. G. D. Prestwich
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  2. B. L. Bentley
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Prestwich, G.D., Bentley, B.L. Nitrogen fixation by intact colonies of the termite Nasutitermes corniger . Oecologia 49, 249–251 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00349197

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00349197

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