Interaction between Termites and Plants - An overview

In the biological interaction between plants and animals it is well known that of the insects, the termites play a very prominent and significant role since they are able to transform dead and decaying complex plent cellulosic material into reusable soil nutrients which in turn are used by future generations of plants. These little insects are also responsible for much of the turning over of the soil by bringing up fresh soi1 from below the earth surface. Termites are mainly herbivorous and also saprophagous and so are deeply involved in the dissimilation of nutrients from deadwood and decomposed vegetation holding an important position in the ecosystem in tropical countries and in warm temperate zones. As them insects rely on micro-organisms, living in a state of symbiosis inside their gut canal for the digestion of complex plant meterial the whole process of interaction is very much more complicated and many factors have to be taken into account such as the biology of the host termites, their intestinal Protozoans and bacteria as well as the food inself which may be in a living condition or in a decaying and dead condition.