ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

and this may-help to keep down theii growth. This greater abund I
ance
of'fungi and'of denitrifying bacteria indicates that the breakdown of
organic matter proceeds faster in mounds than In the surrounding area
This contrasts with the carton mounds of Nasutitermes exitlosuFg of
Australia with an Impoverished flora (Lee and Wood 1971), The
depression of microbial activity in the wounds of this species In
dueAo-the carton material*
5.7 PREVENTION OF SPORE GM'JtINATION IN WE NEST SYSM
The fungus comb and toodstare contain many spores which are
potentially capable of aerrdnating
255.
(5,, 2*9). Those In the fungus comb
do not germinato until the comb is removed from the nest system, while,,
when the foodstoria Is"reinoved, the spores still do not germinate. This
points to there being factors In the nest system which prevent germina-
tion and Grawthj and which are still operative when the foodstore to
removed from the iaound.
One 'Of thO fACtOrS which appeared to retard the growth of the
fungi was the presence of the termiteng an the plastering of Boll on
the comb (5.6.1)
prevented the Initial development of the funglo
Experiments to Investigate whether this may be due to tho Incorporation
of saliva in with the soil are described In 5.7*1. The effect of
extracts in diffekent solventst of foodstores, fungus comb and termites
on spore germination are described In !; -7,, 2*
5-7-1 EFFECT OF SALIVA IN SOIL ON SFO, 'M GMUNATION
Methods
Part of a Macrotermox bellicosus Mound Wa3 damaged and the following
day the freshly worked soil j which the termites had used to repair tho
damaged SeCtions WaB C011OCtOd In A 6t6r1lQ Pot* Older worked soil