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Floodplain ‘murundus’ of Central Brazil: evidence for the termite-origin hypothesis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 July 2009

Ary Teixeira De Oliveira-Filho
Ary Teixeira De Oliveira-Filho
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Escola Superior de Agricultura de Lavras, 37200, Lavras, MG, Brazil
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Abstract

‘Campos de murundus’ are a typical landscape of Central Brazil characterized by countless rounded earthmounds (the ‘murundus’), which are covered by woody ‘cerrado’ (savanna) vegetation and are found scattered over a grass-covered surface (the ‘campo’). A detailed study was carried out in the region of Cuiabá, state of Mato Grosso on a particular campo de murundus (area of 5.065 ha) lying in a sedimentary depression where the earthmounds are true islands during the annual floods, allowing the colonization both by cerrado plants and by termites. The mounds were mapped and measured for their size and shape. Mounds' diameters ranged from 0.2 to 22.0 m and heights ranged from 0.1 to 1.1m. The 445 smaller mounds (< 0.8 m diameter) were found to have a clumped distribution, occupying 0.1% of the area. They are actually small termite nests built by Armitermes euamignathus. The 80 larger mounds (> 0.8 m diameter) were uniformly distributed, occupying 6.3%, of the area. These mounds are colonized by Cornitermes snyderi and Cornitermes bequaerti which build big termite nests on the summit of the mounds. Soil analyses indicated a close similarity between the campo and the surrounding cerrado whose soils had coarser texture and were poor in nutrients. Soils of the earthmounds and termite nests showed finer texture, lower pH and higher amounts of mineral nutrients. It is suggested here that this particular type of campo de murundus is formed mainly from the localized activity of nest-building by termites, followed by nest degradation, during many generations of termite colonies.

Resumo

Murundus de pantanal: evidências para a hipótese da origem pelos cupins. Os campos de murundus constituem uma paisagem típica do Brasil Central caracterizada por um campo graminoso onde se distribuem incontáveis montes de terra arredondados (os murundus) revestidos por vegetação lenhosa de cerrado. Um estudo detalhado foi conduzido na região de Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, em um campo de murundus (área de 5,065 ha) alojado em uma depressão sedimentar onde OS montes de terra representam verdadeiras ilhas durante as inundações anuals, o que permite sua colonização tanto por plantas típicas de cerrado como por cupins de montículo. Os murundus foram mepeados e medidos, revclando diâmetros entre 0,2 e 22,0 m e alturas entre 0,1 e 1,1m. Os 445 murundus menores (<0,8 m de diametro) aprescntaram uma distribuição espacial fortemente agrupada, ocupando 0,1 % da area do campo. Estcs murundus são, na verdade, pequenos cupinzeiros construídos por Armitermes euamignathus. Os 80 murundus maiores (> 0,8 m dc diâmctro) apresentaram uma distribuição espacial uniforme, ocupando 6,3% da área do campo. Estes murundus são colonizados por Cornitermes snyderi e Cornitermes bequaerti que constroem grandes cupinzeiros no topo dos murundus. As análises de solo indicaram uma maior similaridade entre o campo e o cerrado circundante, cujos solos tiveram textura mais grossa e menores teores de nutrientes. Os solos dos murundus e dos cupinzeiros mostraram textura mais fina, pH mais baixo e maiores teores de nutrientes. É sugerido aqui que este tipo particular de campo de murundus é formado principalmente a partir da atividade localizada de construção de cupinzeiros, seguida da degradação dos mesmos, durante várias gerações de colônias de cupins.

Keywords

Brazilcerradoearthmoundstermitesavanna
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , February 1992 , pp. 1 - 19
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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