Abstract:
One approach to achieving sustainable food security is to maintain or restore natural
ecosystem services that diminish dependence on human inputs to agrosystems. More
efficient use of agrosystem restoration practices can be achieved with the aid of termites' activities, which positively influence the physicochemical and hydraulic properties of soils in favor of productive soil. However, termites have a significant place in
agrosystems, but it has remained under exploited and unrefined and needs to be
restored to increase its yield. Here, we quantify the colonization rates of termites
on marginal soils and in agrosystems with ongoing restoration efforts, as well as
determine their footprints on soil characteristics over a 2‐year period in semi‐arid
Niger. We used a rapid assessment protocol, a technic used to assess termites' population in semi‐arid regions, adapted from an earlier studies. The results from various
analyses showed that termite abundance, richness, and diversity were 15% to 45%
higher in the restored agrosystems than in the degraded ones. The evenness did
not augment in the restored habitats what might result from the changes in soil properties triggered by clearcutting. Moreover, organic compounds, particularly carbon,
nitrogen, in some cases phosphorus, and exchangeable cations are more abundant
in restored sites where termite activities are intense than in the controls. A higher termite diversity and abundance are important factors underlying positive changes in soil
properties. This study provides evidence of the effectiveness of termite species in
restoring degraded soil and in maintaining long‐term soil fertility, thereby facilitating
sustainable agriculture.
