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Nitrogen Fixation by Termites in Tropical Forests, Thailand

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Abstract

Nitrogen (N) fixed by termites was evaluated as a N input to decomposition processes in two tropical forests, a dry deciduous forest (DDF) and the neighboring dry evergreen forest (DEF), Thailand. A diverse group of termite species were assayed by acetylene reduction method and only the wood/litter-feeding termites were found to fix N. More intensive samplings of two abundant species, Microcerotermes crassus and Globitermes sulphureus, were done across several seasons, suggesting N fixation rates of 0.21 and 0.28 kg ha−1 y−1 by termites in the DDF and DEF, respectively. Also, estimates of asymbiotic N fixation rates were 0.75 and 3.95 kg ha−1 y−1. N fixed by termites and by asymbiotic fixers is directly supplied to decomposers breaking down dead plant material and could be a major source of their N. N fixed by termites was 7–22% of that fixed by termites and asymbiotic fixers. Although N fixed by termites is a small input compared to other inputs, this N is likely important for decomposition processes.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the National Research Council of Thailand, the people who are working at Sakaerat Environmental Research Station, T. Johjima, Y. Hongoh, C. Boontong, S. Trakulnaleamsai, and N. Noparatnaraporn for their kind cooperation. We thank the chemical analysis section of RIKEN for the elemental analyses, M. B. Wamalwa, I. Tayasu, and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on the manuscript, and A. Haraguchi and R. Araki for improving the English of the manuscript. This work was supported by Grant-in-Aid (09NP1501) for Creative Basic Research from Japan Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and in part by grants from the Bioarchitect Research Program and the Eco Molecular Science Research Program from RIKEN. The first author (A. Y.) was also supported by a grant from the Junior Research Associate Program from RIKEN.

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Author notes

  1. Akinori Yamada

    Present address: Center of Molecular Biosciences, University of the Ryukyus, Nishihara, Okinawa, 903-0213, Japan

  2. Atsuko Sugimoto

    Present address: Graduate School of Environmental Earth Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Molecular Biology Laboratory, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan

    Akinori Yamada, Moriya Ohkuma & Toshiaki Kudo

  2. Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, 509-3, 2-chome, Hirano, Otsu, Shiga, Otsu, 520-2113, Japan

    Akinori Yamada & Atsuko Sugimoto

  3. JST Bio-Recycle Project, Kasetsart University Research and Development Institute (KURDI), Bangkok, 10900, Thailand

    Tetsushi Inoue, Moriya Ohkuma & Toshiaki Kudo

  4. Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan

    Tetsushi Inoue & Moriya Ohkuma

  5. Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand

    Decha Wiwatwitaya

  6. Division of Environmental Molecular Biology, Graduate School of Integrated Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan

    Toshiaki Kudo

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  1. Akinori Yamada
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Correspondence to Moriya Ohkuma.

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Yamada, A., Inoue, T., Wiwatwitaya, D. et al. Nitrogen Fixation by Termites in Tropical Forests, Thailand. Ecosystems 9, 75–83 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-005-0024-7

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