Biomassa e densidade de térmitas em uma área de cerrado brasileiro

Abstract

Termites are eusocial insects of immense importance in tropical ecosystems, where they play a critical role in the decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycling. Knowledge of their biomass provides a relevant functional indicator to measure the intensity of their ecosystem services. Based on this, the present study aimed to quantify termite biomass and density and analyze their microhabitat distribution in a Cerrado sensu stricto area within the IBGE Ecological Reserve, Federal District, Brazil. Termite biomass and density were estimated through standardized sampling across four distinct microhabitats: soil, dead wood, leaf litter, and conspicuous nests. The quantified community encompassed 17 termite taxa. The total average density was 10299.82±4246.19 indiv./m2 and the total dry biomass was 3.86±1.61 g/m2 (14,9 g/m2 of fresh mass). The largest portion of this biomass was sustained by subterranean and soil-feeding (humivorous) species. The soil emerged as the main microhabitat, concentrating 97.8% of the total density and 97.3% of the total biomass. The biomass and density values found are among the highest ever documented in the world. These data qualify the study area as an activity hotspot for these insects and highlight their importance as ecosystem engineers, especially within the domain's nutrient-poor soils.