| Abstract: | Soil amendments containing carbonized materials increase the soil carbon reservoir, influence plant productivity,
and, ultimately, help to clean the environment. There is data on the effect of such additions on soil physicochemical
properties or plant growth, but few studies have focused on how these carbonized materials are distributed by termite species in the soil ecosystem. It is the first comprehensive study of the transportation of biochar (BC) by termite
species under tropical environmental conditions in Pakistan. The present study was carried out to test the hypothesis
that if termite species I) were involved in the distribution of biochar particles II) if yes, then how far these particles
were transported during the study period (10 days) and III) check their preference between the enriched BC (EBC)
and non-enriched BC. BC was enriched with the cattle slurry after its pyrolysis in the study. The results showed that
EBC particles were significantly more widely distributed than non-enriched BC particles, but both types of BC were
transported more than 4 cm (ring 4) within 10 days (at the end of the experiment). The current study also revealed
that EBC was easily attached to the setae, cuticle, and legs of termites, implying that it could potentially be transported over a greater distance. Furthermore, transportation of EBC over larger distances indicated a potential preference of termite species between the EBC and BC particles. During the study, however, the preference among the
termite species was also observed. Under the prevailing study conditions, the Coptotermes heimi and Heteroterme
indicola species transported the EBC further than Microtermes obesi and Odontotermes obesus. These findings
revealed that transportation preferences were observed among the four termite species. In conclusion, the current
study found that termites were involved in the distribution of BC particles, with a preference for EBC and that these
have the potential to transport BC particles more than 4 cm within 10 days. Furthermore, two species Coptotermes
heimi and Heteroterme indicola may be more suitable candidates for EBC transpiration in Pakistani soils. It was
necessary to conduct additional research into the effect of temperature on the transportation process. |
