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Origin of trunk damage in West African savanna trees: the interaction of fire and termites

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2011

A. B. N'Dri ,
J. Gignoux ,
S. Konaté ,
A. Dembélé  and
D. Aïdara
A. B. N'Dri*
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Biogéochimie et Ecologie des Milieux Continentaux (BIOEMCO-UMR 7618 – Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) Ecole Normale Supérieure, 46 rue d'Ulm 75230 Paris Cedex 05, France Université d'Abobo-Adjamé, UFR des Sciences de la Nature, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d'Ivoire
J. Gignoux
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Biogéochimie et Ecologie des Milieux Continentaux (BIOEMCO-UMR 7618 – Université Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris VI), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) Ecole Normale Supérieure, 46 rue d'Ulm 75230 Paris Cedex 05, France
S. Konaté
Affiliation:
Université d'Abobo-Adjamé, UFR des Sciences de la Nature, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d'Ivoire
A. Dembélé
Affiliation:
Université d'Abobo-Adjamé, UFR des Sciences de la Nature, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d'Ivoire
D. Aïdara
Affiliation:
Université d'Abobo-Adjamé, UFR des Sciences de la Nature, 02 BP 801 Abidjan 02, Côte d'Ivoire
*
1Corresponding author. Email: gitadib@yahoo.fr/ndri@biologie.ens.fr
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Abstract:

Two main types of hollow tree are frequently found in savannas: trees with external splits (externally damaged trees), and trees with no or little visible external damage, but with their entire core removed (internally damaged or ‘piped’ trees). As this may affect trunk mechanical resistance and tree survivorship, we studied the incidence of these two types of cavity in relation to two possible causal agents, fire and termites, in a West African savanna. Overall, the proportion of damaged adult trees (height >2 m) reached 36%, and up to 84% for Crossopteryx febrifuga. In this species, almost all (93%) damaged individuals showed signs of digging by fungus-grower and wood-feeder termites. External damage was more frequent in the more fire-prone shrubby savanna, suggesting that while termites are responsible for the piping, fire is responsible for the later opening of the trunk. Trees growing in the more fire-prone savanna tended to reach significantly smaller sizes, both in height and basal diameter, than in the less intensely burnt woody savanna. There was also evidence that piped trees were taller than externally damaged trees. This strongly suggests that fire causes an increased mortality of adult trees through lateral opening of the trunks causing later breakage.

Keywords

Côte d'IvoireCrossopteryx febrifugafungus-grower termitehollow treeLamtopiped treeshrubby savannawood-feeder termitewoody savanna
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Tropical Ecology , Volume 27 , Issue 3 , May 2011 , pp. 269 - 278
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

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