Discovery Day Tarnita
8
TERMITE MOUNDS CAN PREVENT DESERTIFICATION Corina E. Tarnita
description
Mpala Research Centre Discovery Day 2014
Transcript of Discovery Day Tarnita
TERMITE MOUNDS CAN PREVENT DESERTIFICATION
Corina E. Tarnita
Desertification due to: overgrazing; climate change
Sudden switch to desert; hard to recover
Decreasing rainfall
Increasing rainfall
Rainfall (mm day-1)
Veg
etat
ion
bio
mas
s (g
m-2)
Termite mounds are islands of fertile vegetation
In Laikipia: black cotton soil termites
Termites:
Improve nutrients on mounds
Allow water to infiltrate better
Decreasing rainfall
Increasing rainfall
Ve
ge
tati
on
bio
mas
s (
g m
-2)
Rainfall (mm day-1)
No mounds
With mounds
Thank you!