Dt. Jones et P. Eggleton, Sampling termite assemblages in tropical forests: testing a rapid biodiversity assessment protocol, J APPL ECOL, 37(1), 2000, pp. 191-203
1. Termites play a key role in decomposition processes in tropical ecosyste
ms. Rapid assessment of local termite assemblages requires a standardized s
ampling protocol capable of producing an accurate picture of species compos
ition. This paper evaluates the efficacy of a sampling protocol designed to
assess termite species richness and functional diversity in tropical fores
ts.
2. The protocol entails a 100 m long transect consisting of 20 sections (ea
ch 5 x 2 m). One hour of human sampling effort per section is used to searc
h for and collect termites from dead wood, soil, termite nests and other mi
crohabitats up to a height of 2 m above ground. The protocol was tested in
three forest sites where the local termite fauna was already comprehensivel
y documented. Two transects were run at Danum Valley (Sabah, Borneo), one a
t Pasoh Forest Reserve (Peninsular Malaysia) and one at Mbalmayo Forest Res
erve (Cameroon).
3. At the three sites the transect samples contained 31-36% of the known lo
cal termite species pool. The taxonomic and functional group composition of
the transect samples did not differ significantly from that of the known l
ocal fauna. The two transects run at Danum Valley gave very similar pattern
s, suggesting that the protocol produces consistent within-site results. Af
ter sampling 20 sections, pseudoturnover between the two Danum transects ha
d declined to a relatively low level.
4. The transect method is effective because it utilizes collecting expertis
e within a protocol that standardizes sampling effort and area. The protoco
l provides a much more rapid and cost-effective method for studying termite
assemblage structure than sampling regimes designed to estimate population
abundances. It was demonstrated that one supervised training transect was
sufficient to ensure the protocol was conducted with the required level of
sampling efficiency.
5. The protocol offers a rapid tool for investigating spatial and temporal
patterns of termite assemblage structure in tropical forest sites. Existing
data also suggest that termites warrant further investigation as ecologica
l indicators. Termite assemblage composition shows a strong response to hab
itat disturbance and may be indicative of quantitative changes in the decom
position process. The termite transect has potential as a useful addition t
o any suite of organisms recommended for monitoring functional processes in
tropical forests.