The Role of Termites in Litter Decomposition and Soil Translocation with Special Reference to Odontotermes in Arid Lands of Northern Kenya

Abstract

This research work on the role of termites in an arid ecosystem covered eleven months (August 1981 to .June 1982). It was conducted at the site of the UNESCO integrated project in Arid Lands (UNESCO - !PAL} . This area is in Western Marsabit district, Kenya . About 80% of this area is semi-arid thorn bush scrubland and receives annual rainfall from about 100 to 600 mm. A survey of the termite fauna as a whole was carried out around most of the !PAL Field camps. Main investigation sites were· located at Balesa Kulal and Olturot. .The two sites . lie about 8 km from each other, Olturot being more to the south eastern slopes of Mt. Kulal than Balesa Kulal. Balesa Kulal lies in riverine woodland vegetation while Olturot is at he boundary of annual grassland and dense woodland vegetation. The woodland vegetation where my experiments were located is not typical of the IPAL area as a whole, which has 3 .5% woodlands and even in woodland my sites were perhaps comparatively productive. Rainfall occurs in two seasons (in April and in November) at both sites and maximum daily temperatures are often above 30°c. ...(Continue from the attached PDF)