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Ecological Impacts of Termites

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Termites and Sustainable Management

Part of the book series: Sustainability in Plant and Crop Protection ((SUPP))

Abstract

Macroinvertebrates play an important role in the maintenance of soil structural stability and fertility in many natural and man-modified habitats. Termites, as dominant invertebrates in tropical soils, have a major influence on soil chemical and physical structure. A diverse range of species processes a variety of plant organic matter at all stages of decomposition contributing to the efficient return of nutrients to the vegetation. Soil restoration and sustainable agricultural practices can be achieved through utilization of the ecosystem services of these organisms. The exploitation of termites for agroecosystem management and soil restoration remains, however, largely unexplored. Only few researches have been reported on the utilization of termite activity for the management of soil fertility or for the rehabilitation of degraded soils. The present chapter highlights the potentials of termites as detritivores, soil builders, restorers of degraded land, and producers of some greenhouse gases, in the light of available literature.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia

    Md. Aslam Khan

  2. Department of Zoology, Section of Nematology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India

    Wasim Ahmad

  3. Division of Entomology, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India

    Bishwajeet Paul

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  1. Md. Aslam Khan
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  2. Wasim Ahmad
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  3. Bishwajeet Paul
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Correspondence to Md. Aslam Khan .

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  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia

    Md. Aslam Khan

  2. Department of Zoology, Section of Nematology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Wasim Ahmad

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Khan, M.A., Ahmad, W., Paul, B. (2018). Ecological Impacts of Termites. In: Khan, M., Ahmad, W. (eds) Termites and Sustainable Management. Sustainability in Plant and Crop Protection. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72110-1_10

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