Mémoire
| Résumé : | Termites, as ubiquitous insects, exhibit a broad diversity and have the capacity to thrive in various habitats, including arboreal, subterranean tropical rainforests, and savanna regions. Functioning as ecosystem engineers, termites contribute significantly to organic matter decomposition, soil mixing, and aeration through their burrowing activities, nest building, and tunnel construction. While many termite species have been documented in South America, there remains a knowledge gap, particularly concerning the species found in savanna regions.This study addresses the limited understanding of savanna termites in French Guiana by aiming to identify termite diversity, characterize assemblages, and determine whether the encountered species constitute a subset of the forest population or are exclusive savanna specialists.Sample collection occurred at four sites in Sinnamary and Iracoubo, French Guiana. Identification involved taxonomic keys, dissection, stereomicroscope examination, and DNA barcoding (COII gene). Data analysis utilized Python and R Studio software, including the plotting of a rarefaction curve to assess sampling efforts. Species richness, Shannon index, index of occurrence, Pielou’s index, and Simpson's dominance index were calculated.Termitidae was exclusively represented by three subfamilies: Apicotermitinae (10 species), Nasutitermitinae (3 species), and Termitidae (1 species). The rarefaction curve demonstrated effective sampling that captured most species in the environment. Biodiversity indices indicated a moderate level of diversity across different transects, while Simpson's index revealed homogenous dominance.Species reported in this study were also documented in both forest and savanna areas of neighbouring countries, suggesting adaptability to diverse food sources. The observation of Byrsonima verbascifolia in three of the four transects highlights its association with savanna termites. |
