Morphological and Physicochemical Properties of Termite Mounds in the Mixed Deciduous Forests of Thailand

Abstract In this study, we surveyed termites in Thailand and characterized the mounds they built in mixed deciduous forests. We analyzed soil samples from termite mounds for moisture, electrical conductivity, temperature, pH, and soil texture. Three species of wood-feeding termites were identified, including Globitermes sulphureus (47%), Microcerotermes crassus (32%), and M. distans (21%). The sizes of mounds were the largest for G. sulphureus, followed by M. crassus and M. distans. The characteristics of termite mounds were slightly acidic sandy-clay soils for G. sulphureus, slightly acidic sandy-clay-loam soils for M. crassus, and slightly basic sandy-clay soils for M. distans. The PCA revealed three groups of mound individuals without a clear separation of termite species. In future study, it is suggested to use more samples and other soil parameters such as clay minerals of different particle sizes.

摘要
本研究对泰国境内的白蚁进行了调查，并对其在落叶混交林中构筑的蚁丘开展了特征分析。研究采集了白蚁蚁丘的土壤样本，检测分析了其含水量、电导率、温度、pH值及土壤质地。本次研究共鉴定出3种食木白蚁，分别为Globitermes sulphureus（占比47%）、Microcerotermes crassus（占比32%）以及M. distans（占比21%）。蚁丘尺寸以Globitermes sulphureus构筑的最大，其次为Microcerotermes crassus，M. distans的蚁丘最小。不同白蚁物种对应的蚁丘土壤特征各异：Globitermes sulphureus的蚁丘土壤为弱酸性砂质黏土，Microcerotermes crassus的为弱酸性砂质黏壤土，M. distans的为弱碱性砂质黏土。主成分分析（PCA）结果显示，蚁丘样本可划分为3个群组，但未实现白蚁物种的清晰区分。未来研究建议扩大样本规模，并纳入更多土壤参数指标，例如不同粒径的黏土矿物。