Eco-engineer. On the African savanna, tiny termites have a greater impact on the landscape than almost any other animal.

The great animals of the African savanna owe a debt of gratitude to the humble termite. New research reveals that the dirt mounds the insects build sustain significantly more shrubs, fruit-bearing trees, and animals, such as elephants, cheetahs, and zebras, than do surrounding areas. It's a “very satisfying demonstration” of how the termites “support an entire ecosystem,” says physiologist Scott Turner of the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse who has studied termite mounds in Namibia.

Most of the African savanna is comprised of stiff, dry dirt, but every 50 meters or so you'll come across a foot-high mound covered in green grass. African termites (Odontotermes) can spend centuries creating the mounds. Like earthworms on farmland, the termites aerate the surrounding soil, allowing more water to penetrate. Scientists knew that this activity, along with termite droppings, creates highly fertile patches of earth with a higher percentage of nitrogen and phosphorous than ground farther away. Such conditions invite the growth of grasses, shrubs, and trees. 

Termites Help Build Savanna Societies
by Adam Mann on May 25, 2010 


[now, if someone could do a study like this on how important pollinators are for the landscape, as well...]
[thinking, that would bee nice...]

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