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Pascal Jouquet - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Litter Quality Affects Termite Sheeting Production and Water Infiltration in the Soil
    Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2019
    Co-Authors: Rashmi Shanbhag, Sougueh Cheik, Ajay Harit, Nicolas Bottinelli, Ekta Chaudhary, R Sundararaj, Pascal Jouquet
    Abstract:

    This study aimed to understand the relationship between termite foraging activity and the ecological benefits derived from their activity in Soil Dynamics and water infiltration. A field study was carried out for six months, between pre-wet and wet seasons, with different food baits (elephant dung, Acacia auriculiformis leaves, twigs and leaves of Lantana camara as well as Ficus religiosa, Pterocarpus marsupium, Prosopis juliflora, Michelia champaca, Azadirachta indica and Hevea brasiliensis wood stakes) installed on the Soil surface in a semi-deciduous forest in southern India. At the end of the experiment we determined bait consumption, water infiltration rate in Soil, and the amount of Soil sheetings covering the different baits. The initial infiltration rates under the baits were compared to those at the end of the experiment. Three termite species, Odontotermes obesus, O. feae and Microtermes obesi, were found associated with some of the baits in the study area. Among the different baits, elephant dung and Acacia leaves were the most preferred and a positive relationship was observed between the quantity of Soil sheetings and the bait consumption rate. Termite preference for elephant dung and Acacia leaves was also associated with higher water infiltration rates. However, this difference was only significant at the beginning of the experiment and no significant difference was measured once the steady state was reached. In conclusion, we showed that resource quality was of primary importance for Soil sheeting production but that the influence of termites on water infiltration remained limited, most likely because of the low stability of their tunnels in the Soil.

  • linking termite feeding preferences and Soil physical functioning in southern indian woodlands
    Insects, 2019
    Co-Authors: Sougueh Cheik, Rashmi Ramesh Shanbhag, Ajay Harit, Nicolas Bottinelli, Raman Sukumar, Pascal Jouquet
    Abstract:

    Termites are undoubtedly amongst the most important Soil macroinvertebrate decomposers in semi-arid environments in India. However, in this specific type of environment, the influence of termite foraging activity on Soil functioning remains unexplored. Therefore, this study examines the link between the quality of litter and the functional impact of termite feeding preferences on Soil properties and Soil hydraulic conductivity in a deciduous forest in southern India. Different organic resources (elephant dung: “ED”, elephant grass: “EG”, acacia leaves: “AL” and layers of cardboard: “CB”) were applied on repacked Soil cores. ED appeared to be the most attractive resource to Odontotermes obesus, leading to a larger amount of Soil sheeting (i.e., the Soil used by termites for covering the litter they consume), more numerous and larger holes in the ground and a lower Soil bulk density. As a consequence, ED increased the Soil hydraulic conductivity (4-fold) compared with the control Soil. Thus, this study highlights that the more O. obesus prefers a substrate, the more this species impacts Soil Dynamics and water infiltration in the Soil. This study also shows that ED can be used as an efficient substrate for accelerating the infiltration of water in southern-Indian Soils, mainly through the production of galleries that are open on the Soil surface, offering new perspectives on termite management in this environment.

  • Abundance and impact on Soil properties of cathedral and lenticular termite mounds in Southern Indian woodlands
    Ecosystems, 2017
    Co-Authors: Pascal Jouquet, Ajay Harit, Etienne Airola, Nabila Guilleux, Ekta Chaudhary, Seraphine Grellier, Jean Riotte
    Abstract:

    Despite the acknowledged roles of termites in tropical ecosystems, the majority of published studies of epigeal mounds still address the African fauna and are principally concerned with spatial patterns and putative inter-colony competition, rather than the links between parent Soil properties and mound establishment. Further, information about the effects of habitat disturbance, and especially fragmentation, is lacking. This study assessed the abundance and distribution of the cathedral- and lenticular-type aboveground mounds of fungus-growing termites (Macrotermitinae), which are a common feature of South Indian woodlands, in relation to Soil properties (vertisol vs. ferralsol) and habitat fragmentation (forest vs. highway margins). Mound abundance averaged 3.5 (standard error, SE 0.8) ha(-1) (cathedral) and 12.9 (SE 2.1) ha(-1) (lenticular), but was not influenced either by Soil properties or disturbance. However, the volume of Soil stored in the mounds varied between 27 (SE 8) m(3) ha(-1) (ferralsol) and 47 (SE 6) m(3) ha(-1) (vertisol). At the watershed scale, such volumes are equivalent to a 3.1-mm layer of Soil if spread evenly across the landscape, roughly the same as the estimated erosion over the life of a typical mound. Significantly more nutrients were stored in lenticular mounds, especially on the vertisol, but the significance of these at the ecosystem level was considered small. In conclusion, this study suggests that termite mounds, and especially lenticular mounds, have a significant impact on Soil Dynamics at the watershed scale but a limited impact on the distribution of C and nutrients.

Edward Topp - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • impact of dairy manure pre application treatment on manure composition Soil Dynamics of antibiotic resistance genes and abundance of antibiotic resistance genes on vegetables at harvest
    Science of The Total Environment, 2017
    Co-Authors: Yuanching Tien, Bing Li, Tong Zhang, Andrew Scott, Roger Murray, Lyne Sabourin, Romain Marti, Edward Topp
    Abstract:

    Manuring ground used for crop production is an important agricultural practice. Should antibiotic-resistant enteric bacteria carried in the manure be transferred to crops that are consumed raw, their consumption by humans or animals will represent a route of exposure to antibiotic resistance genes. Treatment of manures prior to land application is a potential management option to reduce the abundance of antibiotic resistance genes entrained with manure application. In this study, dairy manure that was untreated, anaerobically digested, mechanically dewatered or composted was applied to field plots that were then cropped to lettuce, carrots and radishes. The impact of treatment on manure composition, persistence of antibiotic resistance gene targets in Soil following application, and distribution of antibiotic resistance genes and bacteria on vegetables at harvest was determined. Composted manure had the lowest abundance of antibiotic resistance gene targets compared to the other manures. There was no significant difference in the persistence characteristics of antibiotic resistance genes following land application of the various manures. Compared to unmanured Soil, antibiotic resistance genes were detected more frequently in Soil receiving raw or digested manure, whereas they were not in Soil receiving composted manure. The present study suggests that vegetables grown in ground receiving raw or digested manure are at risk of contamination with manure-borne antibiotic resistant bacteria, whereas vegetables grown in ground receiving composted manure are less so.

Ajay Harit - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Litter Quality Affects Termite Sheeting Production and Water Infiltration in the Soil
    Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2019
    Co-Authors: Rashmi Shanbhag, Sougueh Cheik, Ajay Harit, Nicolas Bottinelli, Ekta Chaudhary, R Sundararaj, Pascal Jouquet
    Abstract:

    This study aimed to understand the relationship between termite foraging activity and the ecological benefits derived from their activity in Soil Dynamics and water infiltration. A field study was carried out for six months, between pre-wet and wet seasons, with different food baits (elephant dung, Acacia auriculiformis leaves, twigs and leaves of Lantana camara as well as Ficus religiosa, Pterocarpus marsupium, Prosopis juliflora, Michelia champaca, Azadirachta indica and Hevea brasiliensis wood stakes) installed on the Soil surface in a semi-deciduous forest in southern India. At the end of the experiment we determined bait consumption, water infiltration rate in Soil, and the amount of Soil sheetings covering the different baits. The initial infiltration rates under the baits were compared to those at the end of the experiment. Three termite species, Odontotermes obesus, O. feae and Microtermes obesi, were found associated with some of the baits in the study area. Among the different baits, elephant dung and Acacia leaves were the most preferred and a positive relationship was observed between the quantity of Soil sheetings and the bait consumption rate. Termite preference for elephant dung and Acacia leaves was also associated with higher water infiltration rates. However, this difference was only significant at the beginning of the experiment and no significant difference was measured once the steady state was reached. In conclusion, we showed that resource quality was of primary importance for Soil sheeting production but that the influence of termites on water infiltration remained limited, most likely because of the low stability of their tunnels in the Soil.

  • linking termite feeding preferences and Soil physical functioning in southern indian woodlands
    Insects, 2019
    Co-Authors: Sougueh Cheik, Rashmi Ramesh Shanbhag, Ajay Harit, Nicolas Bottinelli, Raman Sukumar, Pascal Jouquet
    Abstract:

    Termites are undoubtedly amongst the most important Soil macroinvertebrate decomposers in semi-arid environments in India. However, in this specific type of environment, the influence of termite foraging activity on Soil functioning remains unexplored. Therefore, this study examines the link between the quality of litter and the functional impact of termite feeding preferences on Soil properties and Soil hydraulic conductivity in a deciduous forest in southern India. Different organic resources (elephant dung: “ED”, elephant grass: “EG”, acacia leaves: “AL” and layers of cardboard: “CB”) were applied on repacked Soil cores. ED appeared to be the most attractive resource to Odontotermes obesus, leading to a larger amount of Soil sheeting (i.e., the Soil used by termites for covering the litter they consume), more numerous and larger holes in the ground and a lower Soil bulk density. As a consequence, ED increased the Soil hydraulic conductivity (4-fold) compared with the control Soil. Thus, this study highlights that the more O. obesus prefers a substrate, the more this species impacts Soil Dynamics and water infiltration in the Soil. This study also shows that ED can be used as an efficient substrate for accelerating the infiltration of water in southern-Indian Soils, mainly through the production of galleries that are open on the Soil surface, offering new perspectives on termite management in this environment.

  • Abundance and impact on Soil properties of cathedral and lenticular termite mounds in Southern Indian woodlands
    Ecosystems, 2017
    Co-Authors: Pascal Jouquet, Ajay Harit, Etienne Airola, Nabila Guilleux, Ekta Chaudhary, Seraphine Grellier, Jean Riotte
    Abstract:

    Despite the acknowledged roles of termites in tropical ecosystems, the majority of published studies of epigeal mounds still address the African fauna and are principally concerned with spatial patterns and putative inter-colony competition, rather than the links between parent Soil properties and mound establishment. Further, information about the effects of habitat disturbance, and especially fragmentation, is lacking. This study assessed the abundance and distribution of the cathedral- and lenticular-type aboveground mounds of fungus-growing termites (Macrotermitinae), which are a common feature of South Indian woodlands, in relation to Soil properties (vertisol vs. ferralsol) and habitat fragmentation (forest vs. highway margins). Mound abundance averaged 3.5 (standard error, SE 0.8) ha(-1) (cathedral) and 12.9 (SE 2.1) ha(-1) (lenticular), but was not influenced either by Soil properties or disturbance. However, the volume of Soil stored in the mounds varied between 27 (SE 8) m(3) ha(-1) (ferralsol) and 47 (SE 6) m(3) ha(-1) (vertisol). At the watershed scale, such volumes are equivalent to a 3.1-mm layer of Soil if spread evenly across the landscape, roughly the same as the estimated erosion over the life of a typical mound. Significantly more nutrients were stored in lenticular mounds, especially on the vertisol, but the significance of these at the ecosystem level was considered small. In conclusion, this study suggests that termite mounds, and especially lenticular mounds, have a significant impact on Soil Dynamics at the watershed scale but a limited impact on the distribution of C and nutrients.

Sougueh Cheik - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Litter Quality Affects Termite Sheeting Production and Water Infiltration in the Soil
    Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2019
    Co-Authors: Rashmi Shanbhag, Sougueh Cheik, Ajay Harit, Nicolas Bottinelli, Ekta Chaudhary, R Sundararaj, Pascal Jouquet
    Abstract:

    This study aimed to understand the relationship between termite foraging activity and the ecological benefits derived from their activity in Soil Dynamics and water infiltration. A field study was carried out for six months, between pre-wet and wet seasons, with different food baits (elephant dung, Acacia auriculiformis leaves, twigs and leaves of Lantana camara as well as Ficus religiosa, Pterocarpus marsupium, Prosopis juliflora, Michelia champaca, Azadirachta indica and Hevea brasiliensis wood stakes) installed on the Soil surface in a semi-deciduous forest in southern India. At the end of the experiment we determined bait consumption, water infiltration rate in Soil, and the amount of Soil sheetings covering the different baits. The initial infiltration rates under the baits were compared to those at the end of the experiment. Three termite species, Odontotermes obesus, O. feae and Microtermes obesi, were found associated with some of the baits in the study area. Among the different baits, elephant dung and Acacia leaves were the most preferred and a positive relationship was observed between the quantity of Soil sheetings and the bait consumption rate. Termite preference for elephant dung and Acacia leaves was also associated with higher water infiltration rates. However, this difference was only significant at the beginning of the experiment and no significant difference was measured once the steady state was reached. In conclusion, we showed that resource quality was of primary importance for Soil sheeting production but that the influence of termites on water infiltration remained limited, most likely because of the low stability of their tunnels in the Soil.

  • linking termite feeding preferences and Soil physical functioning in southern indian woodlands
    Insects, 2019
    Co-Authors: Sougueh Cheik, Rashmi Ramesh Shanbhag, Ajay Harit, Nicolas Bottinelli, Raman Sukumar, Pascal Jouquet
    Abstract:

    Termites are undoubtedly amongst the most important Soil macroinvertebrate decomposers in semi-arid environments in India. However, in this specific type of environment, the influence of termite foraging activity on Soil functioning remains unexplored. Therefore, this study examines the link between the quality of litter and the functional impact of termite feeding preferences on Soil properties and Soil hydraulic conductivity in a deciduous forest in southern India. Different organic resources (elephant dung: “ED”, elephant grass: “EG”, acacia leaves: “AL” and layers of cardboard: “CB”) were applied on repacked Soil cores. ED appeared to be the most attractive resource to Odontotermes obesus, leading to a larger amount of Soil sheeting (i.e., the Soil used by termites for covering the litter they consume), more numerous and larger holes in the ground and a lower Soil bulk density. As a consequence, ED increased the Soil hydraulic conductivity (4-fold) compared with the control Soil. Thus, this study highlights that the more O. obesus prefers a substrate, the more this species impacts Soil Dynamics and water infiltration in the Soil. This study also shows that ED can be used as an efficient substrate for accelerating the infiltration of water in southern-Indian Soils, mainly through the production of galleries that are open on the Soil surface, offering new perspectives on termite management in this environment.

Nicolas Bottinelli - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Litter Quality Affects Termite Sheeting Production and Water Infiltration in the Soil
    Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2019
    Co-Authors: Rashmi Shanbhag, Sougueh Cheik, Ajay Harit, Nicolas Bottinelli, Ekta Chaudhary, R Sundararaj, Pascal Jouquet
    Abstract:

    This study aimed to understand the relationship between termite foraging activity and the ecological benefits derived from their activity in Soil Dynamics and water infiltration. A field study was carried out for six months, between pre-wet and wet seasons, with different food baits (elephant dung, Acacia auriculiformis leaves, twigs and leaves of Lantana camara as well as Ficus religiosa, Pterocarpus marsupium, Prosopis juliflora, Michelia champaca, Azadirachta indica and Hevea brasiliensis wood stakes) installed on the Soil surface in a semi-deciduous forest in southern India. At the end of the experiment we determined bait consumption, water infiltration rate in Soil, and the amount of Soil sheetings covering the different baits. The initial infiltration rates under the baits were compared to those at the end of the experiment. Three termite species, Odontotermes obesus, O. feae and Microtermes obesi, were found associated with some of the baits in the study area. Among the different baits, elephant dung and Acacia leaves were the most preferred and a positive relationship was observed between the quantity of Soil sheetings and the bait consumption rate. Termite preference for elephant dung and Acacia leaves was also associated with higher water infiltration rates. However, this difference was only significant at the beginning of the experiment and no significant difference was measured once the steady state was reached. In conclusion, we showed that resource quality was of primary importance for Soil sheeting production but that the influence of termites on water infiltration remained limited, most likely because of the low stability of their tunnels in the Soil.

  • linking termite feeding preferences and Soil physical functioning in southern indian woodlands
    Insects, 2019
    Co-Authors: Sougueh Cheik, Rashmi Ramesh Shanbhag, Ajay Harit, Nicolas Bottinelli, Raman Sukumar, Pascal Jouquet
    Abstract:

    Termites are undoubtedly amongst the most important Soil macroinvertebrate decomposers in semi-arid environments in India. However, in this specific type of environment, the influence of termite foraging activity on Soil functioning remains unexplored. Therefore, this study examines the link between the quality of litter and the functional impact of termite feeding preferences on Soil properties and Soil hydraulic conductivity in a deciduous forest in southern India. Different organic resources (elephant dung: “ED”, elephant grass: “EG”, acacia leaves: “AL” and layers of cardboard: “CB”) were applied on repacked Soil cores. ED appeared to be the most attractive resource to Odontotermes obesus, leading to a larger amount of Soil sheeting (i.e., the Soil used by termites for covering the litter they consume), more numerous and larger holes in the ground and a lower Soil bulk density. As a consequence, ED increased the Soil hydraulic conductivity (4-fold) compared with the control Soil. Thus, this study highlights that the more O. obesus prefers a substrate, the more this species impacts Soil Dynamics and water infiltration in the Soil. This study also shows that ED can be used as an efficient substrate for accelerating the infiltration of water in southern-Indian Soils, mainly through the production of galleries that are open on the Soil surface, offering new perspectives on termite management in this environment.