Oxalate content of vegetation and termite frass in western South Africa

IF 2.7 3区 环境科学与生态学 Q2 ECOLOGY
Ecosphere Pub Date : 2025-05-16 DOI:10.1002/ecs2.70265
T. Nel, C. E. Clarke, M. L. Francis, D. Babenko, D. Breecker, D. A. Cowan, T. Gallagher, J. R. McAuliffe, M. Trindade
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Abstract

Oxalate salts in organic matter are potential substrates for the oxalate-carbonate pathway, which can sequester carbon in drylands. We compared calcium oxalate (CaOx) and water-soluble oxalate (SOx) concentrations of samples of vegetation and termite excrement (frass) collected from termite mounds in sites across a regional rainfall gradient in western South Africa. We developed mid-infrared (MIR) spectroscopic models to quantify oxalate components in vegetation extracts (n = 30) and frass samples (n = 39). The MIR spectroscopic method was more efficient than chemical analytical techniques of oxalate measurement. The median CaOx concentration of plants (0.311 mmol g−1) was four times greater than frass (0.081 mmol g−1), which may be explained by degradation of oxalates by microorganisms or selective harvesting of low-oxalate vegetation by termites. The mean CaOx content of frass from sites in mesic regions (0.042 mmol g−1) was lower relative to frass from sites in more arid regions (0.156 mmol g−1), and lower in termite mounds (0.048 mmol g−1) compared with off-mound samples (0.131 mmol g−1). Frass collected from sites with higher rainfall had a lower mean SOx content (0.006 mmol g−1, respectively) compared with frass from sites with lower rainfall (0.013 mmol g−1, respectively). This may be attributed to faster degradation of CaOx in soils with greater moisture content. Estimated annual inputs of carbon (17.6 kg mound−1) and calcium (2.55 kg mound−1, 20% of which occurs as CaOx) due to termite frass deposition may be instrumental in the formation of calcite via the oxalate-carbonate pathway in soils of earthen mounds occupied by termites. This work is relevant to modeling carbon storage in drylands where termites are significant consumers of vegetation.

Abstract Image

南非西部植被和白蚁草酸含量
有机质中的草酸盐是草酸-碳酸盐途径的潜在底物,可以在旱地固碳。我们比较了在南非西部不同区域降雨梯度的白蚁丘收集的植被和白蚁粪便样本中的草酸钙(CaOx)和水溶性草酸钙(SOx)浓度。我们建立了中红外(MIR)光谱模型来量化植物提取物(n = 30)和草样品(n = 39)中的草酸盐成分。MIR光谱法测定草酸盐的效率高于化学分析方法。植物草酸浓度中位数(0.311 mmol g−1)比草(0.081 mmol g−1)高4倍,这可能与微生物对草酸盐的降解或白蚁对低草酸盐植被的选择性收获有关。相对于干旱地区的草样(0.156 mmol g−1),中等干旱地区草样的平均CaOx含量(0.042 mmol g−1)较低,白蚁丘草样的平均CaOx含量(0.048 mmol g−1)低于非土堆样品(0.131 mmol g−1)。与降雨量较低的地区(分别为0.013 mmol g−1)相比,降雨量较高的地区收集的草叶的平均SOx含量较低(分别为0.006 mmol g−1)。这可能是由于在含水量较大的土壤中,氧化钙的降解速度较快。据估计,白蚁碎屑沉积每年输入的碳(17.6 kg丘- 1)和钙(2.55 kg丘- 1,其中20%以CaOx的形式出现)可能有助于白蚁占据的土丘土壤通过草酸盐-碳酸盐途径形成方解石。这项工作与模拟干旱地区的碳储存有关,在干旱地区,白蚁是植被的重要消费者。
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来源期刊
Ecosphere
Ecosphere ECOLOGY-
CiteScore
4.70
自引率
3.70%
发文量
378
审稿时长
15 weeks
期刊介绍: The scope of Ecosphere is as broad as the science of ecology itself. The journal welcomes submissions from all sub-disciplines of ecological science, as well as interdisciplinary studies relating to ecology. The journal''s goal is to provide a rapid-publication, online-only, open-access alternative to ESA''s other journals, while maintaining the rigorous standards of peer review for which ESA publications are renowned.
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