The rise in temperatures on the planet could provide more termite reproduction and the volume of wood they destroy, as a result large amounts of carbon dioxide emissionsone of the gases.greenhouse effect‘, says a scientific study in which Florida International University (FIU) participated.
In an investigation of this ‘vicious cycle’ (climate change-termites-high temperatures), as FIU biologist Óscar Valverde-Barrantes puts it, it was found that: termites “decompose wood mass ten times faster”.
“We really checked termites act as accelerators of wood decompositionValverde-Barrantes said the pine tree, which was used as a “sieve”, was used as a “sieve” in each of the 133 facilities on the six continents where the two-year experiment was conducted.
In the Florida example, the Everglades wetlands and the state’s southernmost Keys, the FIU biologist, have multiple bags with pinewood pieces in them, some sealed to retain moisture, and others with tiny 3′ holes. It is millimeters in diameter, allowing the entry of insects such as termites.
Two years later, measurements of the effect of climate on the weathering of wood at observation points
After all the bags have been collected and the condition of the wood has been inspected, the experts “More than 50% of the wood in the perforated bags was colonized by termites”.
Not only that, the research revealed that termites, which thrive in warmer climates more than colder climates, “make the decomposition of wood mass ten times faster.”
The unstoppable spread of termites
The first conclusion to draw is: termites “too much speed up” the decomposition process of colonized woodcompared to biomass not exposed to these insects.
Predictions of the study, published in the journal ‘Science’, reveal that termites spread in an unbiased manner: By the end of the 21st century, they can establish up to 30% more colonies than their current rate in temperate regions.with the resulting release of more CO2 into the atmosphere.
“The tendency to accumulate more CO2 in the atmosphere, stove effect higher (greenhouse)”, added Valverde-Barrantes, who suggested “considering termite variants in current models,” something that has yet to be done to quantify how. Expansion of these insects could accelerate global warming.
The biologist, who is also an expert in microbiology and evolution, underlined that it is of great personal and professional interest to examine Florida’s “decomposition process in certain areas” prospectively. In addition to termites that colonize the wood, they found beetles, ants, and other insects..
“There other actors He emphasized that we have not yet included studies on the microbial part of wood and its decomposition like other insects. The study notes that: Only a small percentage of populations of these insects consume wood from buildings, with the vast majority “destroying tree remnants in tropical and subtropical forests”..
Like this, “If the world becomes more tropical, termites could be a contributing factor for “warmer global temperatures”A potential threat to accelerate global warming The scientist agreed that more extensive studies and projection models are needed on it.
But the outcome of this work should enable the creation of new models that, in the biologist’s view, include “how termite habitats expand as temperatures increase and wood mass decomposes in these areas.”