Termite sensitivity to temperature affects global wood decay rates
Abstract
Deadwood is a large global carbon store with its store size partially determined by biotic decay. Microbial wood decay rates are known to respond to changing temperature and precipitation. Termites are also important decomposers in the tropics but are less well studied. An understanding of their climate sensitivities is needed to estimate climate change effects on wood carbon pools. Using data from 133 sites spanning six continents, we found that termite wood discovery and consumption were highly sensitive to temperature (with decay increasing > 6.8 times per 10°C increase in temperature)-even more so than microbes. Termite decay effects were greatest in tropical seasonal forests, tropical savannas, and subtropical deserts. With tropicalization (i.e., warming shifts to tropical climates), termite wood decay will likely increase as termites access more of Earth's surface.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
9-23-2022
Volume
377
Issue
6613
PubMed ID
36137034
Publication Title
Science (New York, N.Y.)
Publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
School
School of Science
RAS ID
52744
Copyright
subscription content
First Page
1440
Last Page
1444
Comments
Zanne, A. E., Flores-Moreno, H., Powell, J. R., Cornwell, W. K., Dalling, J. W., Austin, A. T., ... & Zalamea, P. C. (2022). Termite sensitivity to temperature affects global wood decay rates. Science, 377(6613), 1440-1444.
https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abo3856