The Effect of Catena Position on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Dambo Located Termite (Odontotermes transvaalensis) Mounds from Central Zimbabwe

George Nyamadzawo, Jephita Gotosa, Justice Muvengwi, Menas Wuta, Justice Nyamangara, Philip Nyamugafata, Jeff L. Smith

Department of Environmental Science, Bindura University of Science Education, Bindura, Zimbabwe.
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, University of Zimbabwe, Mount Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe.
International Centre for Research in Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Matopos, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Washington DC, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/acs.2012.24044                

Abstract

Methane (CH₄), carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrous oxide (N₂)O) are greenhouse gases (GHGs) which cause global warming. Natural sources of GHGs include wetlands and termites. Previous studies have quantified GHG emissions from upland termites and no study has reported GHG emissions from seasonal wetlands (dambo) located termite mounds. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dambo catena position on termite mound distribution and GHG emissions. It was hypothesized that mound density and GHG emissions from Odontotermes transvaalensis mounds, vary with catena position. The evaluated catena positions were margin, mid-slope, lower slope and bottom. Mound density was significantly lower in the bottom when compared to the other catena positions. The mean GHG fluxes were 88 μg m² hr^-1, 0.78 mg m² hr^-1 and 1361 mg m² hr^-1 for N₂) O, CH₄ and CO₂ respectively. Fluxes varied with catena position and were 0.48, 0.72, 1.35 and 0.79 mg m^-2 hr^-1 for CH₄ , and 1173.7, 1440.7, 1798.7 and 922.8 mg m^-2 hr^-1 for CO₂ in the margin, mid-slope, lower slope and the bottom catena position respectively. For N₂) O, there were no significant differences between catena positions. It was concluded that dambo located Odontotermes transvaalensis termite mounds are an important source of GHGs, and emissions varied with catena position for CO₂ and CH₄.

Keywords

Greenhouse Gas Emissions; Termites Mounds; Odontotermes transvaalensis; Dambos; Catena Position

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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