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News Release 15-010

Dirt mounds made by termites in Africa, South America, Asia could prevent spread of deserts

Termites create oases of moisture, plant life

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tropical grasslands and savanna

Termite mounds are nutrient hotspots in tropical grasslands and savannas, stabilizing ecosystems.

Credit: Robert Pringle


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Zebras graze the short grass growing atop a termite mound in Kenya.

Zebras graze the short grass growing atop a termite mound in Kenya.

Credit: Robert Pringle


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A termite  peeks out from a fungus-comb chamber that has been excavated

A termite soldier peeks out from a fungus-comb chamber that has been excavated from belowground.

Credit: Robert Pringle


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Termite mounds in a sparse landscape in Mozambique.

Termite mounds appear as patches of lush vegetation in a sparse landscape in Mozambique.

Credit: Robert Pringle


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termite in a fungus garden

Fungus-cultivating termites foster subterranean fungus gardens that support aboveground plants.

Credit: Robert Pringle


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cover of journal science

Termite mounds (shown here in the Tanami Desert, Australia) are ubiquitous in tropical grasslands and savannas, where they generate distinctive spatial patterns and influence key ecological processes. These regularly spaced mounds are often resource-rich relative to surrounding soils, enhancing plant growth on and/or around the mounds. Mathematical models show that these local enhancements can reduce the susceptibility of arid ecosystems to catastrophic desertification following drought. See pages 596 and 651.

Credit: Copyright AAAS 2015. Photo: William D. Bachman/Science Source


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