@article{fdi:010072364,
  title = {{S}ustainable use of termite activity in agro-ecosystems with reference to earthworms. {A} review},
  author = {{J}ouquet, {P}ascal and {C}haudhary, {E}. and {K}umar, {A}. {R}. {V}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{S}ustainable agriculture and agro-ecology justify the need to study and understand the role played by ecological processes, and soil biodiversity in particular, in agro-ecosystem functioning. {A} large number of studies have focused on earthworms in temperate and humid tropical ecosystems and have demonstrated their importance for improving soil biological, physical, and chemical properties in agro-ecosystems. {T}heir "success" is so essential that earthworms are widely considered key species and relevant indicators of soil health in temperate ecosystems. {I}n arid and sub-arid ecosystems, the role of "soil engineer" is usually attributed to termites, and especially fungus-growing termites in {A}frica and {A}sia. {H}owever, despite this recognition, significant effort is spent eradicating them in plantations because of their pest status. {I}n this review, we discuss the status of termites ("pests" vs. "soil engineers") and question whether termites play similar roles to earthworms in arid-and sub-arid agroecosystems, with a focus on their influence on nutrient cycling and water dynamics. {W}e argue that the dream of controlling natural interactions and ridding plantations of termites remains a costly legacy of the green revolution. {W}e review the agricultural practices that have been used to reduce termite damage in plantations by restoring refuges to predators or by reorienting termite foraging activity towards organic amendments. {T}hen, we show that the stimulation of termite activity can be used to improve key ecological functions in agroecosystems, such as increasing water availability to plants or producing fertility hot-spots. {F}inally, we suggest that more research on how termites can be used for improving ecosystem services, as is actually done with earthworms in temperate and humid tropical countries, could lead to a paradigm shift in our understanding of the impact of termites in tropical agro-ecosytems.},
  keywords = {{A}gro-ecology ; {S}ustainability ; {D}ryland ; {H}eterogeneity ; {P}ests ; {E}cosystem services ; {E}cosystem disservices},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{A}gronomy for {S}ustainable {D}evelopment},
  volume = {38},
  numero = {1},
  pages = {3},
  ISSN = {1774-0746},
  year = {2018},
  DOI = {10.1007/s13593-017-0483-1},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010072364},
}