Termite mound paradises help buffer dry land against climate change
Thank some insect colonies for helping fragile ecosystems cope with drought
By Susan Milius
Termite mounds may help protect arid landscapes in Africa from turning into deserts as climate change exacerbates droughts.
New computer simulations of how stressed arid lands fall apart show that termite mounds and the lush green growth they foster can slow the slide into desert, Corina Tarnita of Princeton University and colleagues report in the Feb. 6 Science. These aren’t the termite species that bedevil human houses, but master architects that create vast underground tunnel networks topped by mounds. Nutrients collected and excreted by the colonies and water held by termite-tunneled soil nourishes plants, creating small islands of fertility.