@article{fdi:010093324,
  title = {{B}ioturbation by dung beetles and termites : do they similarly impact soil and hydraulic properties ?},
  author = {{C}heik, {S}. and {H}arit, {A}. and {B}ottinelli, {N}icolas and {J}ouquet, {P}ascal},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{I}n the tropics, termites and beetles are considered key soil bioturbators regarding their impacts on many ecosystem services. {T}he aim of this study was to compare the functional impacts of these two soil engineers in a seasonally dry tropical forest in southern {I}ndia. {T}he soil excavated by dung beetles and termite sheeting found at the soil surface were sampled and compared to the surrounding topsoil environment. {W}e showed that soil sheeting had very similar soil particle sizes and {C} content as the surrounding topsoil while the soil excavated by beetles was enriched in {C} and gravels in comparison with the topsoil. {B}ioturbation by dung beetles was also associated with the production of vertical tunnels that significantly decreased soil bulk density and constituted a preferential flow path for water to infiltrate (37-fold increase in comparison with the surrounding topsoil). {T}ermite activity was also associated with the production of macropores. {H}owever, termite galleries were narrower and less vertical than dung beetle macropores, consequently leading to a positive but rather limited impact on the water hydraulic conductivity ({K}sat) in comparison with that of dung beetles (i.e. from 2 to 8-fold increase). {I}n conclusion, this study showed that soil engineers have different bioturbation impacts, dung beetles having locally a larger impact on soil dynamics and properties than termites. {M}ore research is now needed to understand the consequences of these bioturbations on the fate of {C} in soil and on water dynamics at larger scales.},
  keywords = {{INDE} ; {BANDIPUR} {PARC} {NATIONAL}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{P}edobiologia},
  volume = {95},
  numero = {},
  pages = {150845 [8 ]},
  ISSN = {0031-4056},
  year = {2022},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.pedobi.2022.150845},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010093324},
}