Soil organisms drive major ecosystem functions by mineralising carbon and releasing
nutrients during decomposition processes, which supports plant growth, aboveground …

Despite the major importance of soil biota in nutrient and energy fluxes, interactions in soil
food webs are poorly understood. Here we provide an overview of recent advances in …

A comprehensive compendium on the taxonomy and biology of the 3106 living and fossil
species of the world's termites is presented, along with reviews of Isoptera morphology and …

Insects are the most diverse organisms and often the most abundant animals in some
ecosystems. Despite the importance of their functional roles and of the knowledge for …

1. In the current ecological classification of termites, four feeding groups (I–IV) are
recognised, corresponding to a gradient of decomposition from sound wood to highly …

The community structure, stable isotope ratios (15 N/14 N, 13 C/12 C) and reproductive
mode of oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) were investigated in four habitats (upper tree bark …

Termites are among the most important animals in tropical ecosystems where they often
make up over 10% of the total animal biomass and enhance ecosystem productivity. While …

Conversion from Amazon forest to low-management pasture or agriculture causes not only
degradation of aboveground vegetation but also negative changes in soil properties and …

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N) have been used to study the
structure of food webs. However, few studies have examined how a terrestrial food web can …

Soldierless termites are extremely abundant in South America where they account for up to
one-third of the termite species richness. However, their diversity has mostly been …