[en] Termites represent one of the most abundant belowground animal taxa in tropical rainforests, where their species richness is much higher than in any other ecosystem. This high diversity in soil ecosystems is however difficult to explain by classical Hutchinsonian niche theory, as there is little evidence for spatial or temporal separation between species. Using δ13C and δ15N isotopic ratios, we tested if resource partitioning along the humification gradient occurs in neotropical soldierless termites of the Anoplotermes-group. Two distinct sites were investigated to check if interspecific differences are transposable between sites. Significant differences in δ15N were found between species of the Anoplotermes-group. Although some species displayed higher intersite δ15N variation than others, species-average δ15N values for both sites were highly correlated, showing that sympatric soldierless soil-feeding termites feed on distinct components of the soil. Our data also suggest that some species are more likely to shift along this gradient than others, in response to overall habitat conditions or to the presence of competitors. Feeding niche differentiation can therefore account for the high species richness and diversity of soldierless soil-feeding termites in neotropical rainforests.
Research center :
MARE - Centre Interfacultaire de Recherches en Océanologie - ULiège UMR EcoFoG (Université Antilles Guyane ) Evolutionary Biology and Ecology (ULB)
Disciplines :
Zoology Environmental sciences & ecology
Author, co-author :
Bourguignon, Thomas; Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB > Evolutionary Biology and Ecology
Sobotnik, Jan; Czech Academy of Sciences > Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry > Infochemicals Research Team
Lepoint, Gilles ; Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences et gestion de l'environnement > Océanologie
Martin, Jean-Michel; Université des Antilles et de la Guyane > Ecologie des Forêt de Guyane - UMR EcoFoG
Roisin, Yves; Université Libre de Bruxelles - ULB > Evolutionary Biology and Ecolgy
Language :
English
Title :
Niche differentiation among neotropical soldierless soil-feeding termites revealed by stable isotope ratios
Publication date :
2009
Journal title :
Soil Biology and Biochemistry
ISSN :
0038-0717
eISSN :
1879-3428
Publisher :
Pergamon Press - An Imprint of Elsevier Science, Oxford, United Kingdom
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