Effect of tree size and growth form on the presence and activity of arboreal termites (Insecta: Isoptera) in the Atlantic Rain Forest.

• Autor(a) principal: Gonçalves, Teresa Telles
• Data de Publicação: 2014
• Outros Autores: Souza, Og Francisco Fonseca de, Reis Júnior, Ronaldo, Ribeiro, Sérvio Pontes
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UFOP
• Texto Completo: http://www.repositorio.ufop.br/handle/123456789/4815; http://dx.doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v59i3.556
• topic: Tree height; Circumference at breast height; Tree architecture; Microcerotermes; Nasutitermes

Despite the well known diversity of termites capable of inhabiting arboreal environments, the determinants of tree exploitation by térmites remain largely unknown. Data collected on trees exploited by termites in Brazilian Atlantic rainforest, a hot spot of diversity, reveals that whereas termite presence on trees is positively related simply to tree size, termite activity within arboreal tunnels depends on tree size and growth form. This leads us to hypothesize that termites find large trees randomly but keep higher activity in large trees due to the availability of food and arboreal nesting sites.