The diversity and abundance of termites (Isoptera) in a fragmented subtropical dry forest landscape

The fragmentation of natural habitats currently represents one of the most serious threats to biodiversity. However, it is becoming apparent that not all components of an ecosystem respond similarly to fragmentation. The effects of forest fragment size on termite community composition and wood decomposition was determined in the subtropical dry forests of southwestern Puerto Rico. These components were measured in small (10 ha) forest fragments and compared to those in Guanica Commonwealth Forest, a relatively undisturbed, contiguous tract of dry forest. Since very little autecological information exists for most of the termite species included in this study, data were collected concerning termite population densities, diet, and habitat preferences. The composition and structure of termite communities did not differ significantly between the forest fragments and Guanica Forest, while rates of wood decomposition decreased significantly within the fragments as compared to the contiguous forest. These results indicate the problems associated with inferring the response of an ecosystem process to forest fragmentation based solely on the response exhibited by the community of organisms which controls the process.