ECOLOGICAL STUDIES ON TILE SYMBIOSIS OF TER ITOMYCES ...

7.2-3 ]DISCUSSION
Tho fungus combs, of all opm-jes of termites investigated wore
acidic and ranged frcm P11 4.1 to 4-6 (Tables 7.2.1 and 7-2-2)- This
agrees with the values obtained by other authors for different termite
species
(Table 7-2-3), The food3tore is more alkaline tlmn tho funWS
comb, varying from Of 5-3-r,, 8, There is tittle difference between'tlie
zones of the Macroternes bellicosus fungus CoMbo with tile fresh zono
beino alitihtlY less acidic than the middle zone. Batra and Batra (1979)
*Amilarly found that the p1l of the upper, younoor parts of the comb was
higher. This lowering of the pil may be due to the activity of
Termit2Mcpaj decormosition generally causing a lowering of 01 due to
selective uptake of cations or the production of oroanic acids and C02
(Swift, Ileal and
Anderson 1979)-
The pit has a definite influence in determining the dominant species
to
of fungi (K'aarik 1974). flintikka (1971) found that the acidity of wood
attacked by wood-rotting fungi varies within fairly wide limits,, pH 2*0-
1
4.0 being cocinono while aarik (L974) cites Butcher (1966) as finding
that p1l values of 4.0-9.0 were tolerated In the wood-inhabiting fungi
tested by hime The low pil in the fungus corab would tend to prevent
bacterial developments bacteria being generally less tolerant to low
p1l than are fungis
The P11 of the ftmguj% cc=b appears nuitable for tho activity of the
cellulases of Termito=c =.. Martin and Ilartin (19-t-S) found the major
activity of the major C, enzyme from TemJt=cp_q, from Itacrotermen
natalensis was in the p1l range 3*9-4*059 and of the minor enzyme was
in the range 4-2-4-35. Hisra and lRanganathan (1951, k) found tho optim=
rJI for the callobinse was pil 49 and of the collulasog 3.8-4.4, from
Odontotermes abeaus_. These optima aro slightly lower titan reported
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