Structure et dynamique des peuplements de termites tropicaux

Auteur :
LEPAGE, M.

Description :
Termites exhibit a low specific diversity (2 200 species), as compared with other Social Insects. On the other hand, their behaviour diversity looks significant. Communities are structured along environmental gradients: latitude, rainfall, altitude, islands. Species isolation takes place through nest settlement, food selection, polymorphism, foraging and reproductive strategies. The pattern of communities structure presents a balance between trophic groups and between populations and resources. Evolutionary processes involve the energy distribution function within the colony (ergonomics versus reproduction), inter-and intraspecific competition (role of the territory), predation (predator-prey oscillations) and reciprocal action together with environmental perturbations. The hypothesis of termites populations being divided into gamodemes and the importance of time delays in dynamic processes are pointed out.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Acta oecologica. Série Oecologia generalis Montreuil, 1983, vol. 4, n°. 1, p. 65-87, Références bibliographiques : 137 réf.

Date :
1983