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Book Termites  Evolution  Sociality  Symbioses  Ecology

Download or read book Termites Evolution Sociality Symbioses Ecology written by Y. Abe and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-11-14 with total page 469 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book is a new compendium in which leading termite scientists review the advances of the last 30 years in our understanding of phylogeny, fossil records, relationships with cockroaches, social evolution, nesting, behaviour, mutualisms with archaea, protists, bacteria and fungi, nutrition, energy metabolism,population and community ecology, soil conditioning, greenhouse gas production and pest status.

Book Advances in the Evolutionary Ecology of Termites

Download or read book Advances in the Evolutionary Ecology of Termites written by Alberto Arab and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2023-08-16 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Termites are eusocial insects that live in colonies composed of hundreds to millions of individuals. Their colonies are mainly organized into reproductive and non-reproductive castes, which have specific tasks such as nest construction, foraging, reproduction, brood care, and colony defense. The evolution of the symbiotic association between termites and microorganisms allows them to decompose ingested lignocellulose from plant substrates (such as wood), including herbivore dung and soil humus, making them important insect decomposers that play a crucial role in ecosystem functioning by contributing to litter decomposition, soil formation, and nutrient cycling. On the other hand, termites have recently been classified as eusocial cockroaches, which have gained increasing attention in evolutionary studies to understand the transition to eusociality from subsocial wood roaches. This current growing interest in termite research calls for a collection dedicated to these fascinating insects.

Book Biology of Termites  a Modern Synthesis

Download or read book Biology of Termites a Modern Synthesis written by David Edward Bignell and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-10-20 with total page 580 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biology of Termites, a Modern Synthesis brings together the major advances in termite biology, phylogenetics, social evolution and biogeography. In this new volume, David Bignell, Yves Roisin and Nathan Lo have brought together leading experts on termite taxonomy, behaviour, genetics, caste differentiation, physiology, microbiology, mound architecture, biogeography and control. Very strong evolutionary and developmental themes run through the individual chapters, fed by new data streams from molecular sequencing, and for the first time it is possible to compare the social organisation of termites with that of the social Hymenoptera, focusing on caste determination, population genetics, cooperative behaviour, nest hygiene and symbioses with microorganisms. New chapters have been added on termite pheromones, termites as pests of agriculture and on destructive invasive species.

Book Intestinal Microorganisms of Termites and Other Invertebrates

Download or read book Intestinal Microorganisms of Termites and Other Invertebrates written by Helmut König and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006 with total page 522 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first work to focus on microbes in gut systems of soil animals. Beginning with an overview of the biology of soil invertebrates, the text turns to the gut microbiota of termites, which are important soil processors in tropical and subtropical regions. Coverage extends to intestinal microbiota of such other litter decomposers as earthworms, springtails, millipedes, and woodlice. Thoroughly illustrated, including color photographs.

Book Ecological and Evolutionary Dynamics of the Symbiotic Microbial Communities of Fungus growing Insects

Download or read book Ecological and Evolutionary Dynamics of the Symbiotic Microbial Communities of Fungus growing Insects written by and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 179 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Microbes have fundamentally shaped the evolution of metazoans on Earth by influencing the chemistry of the planet and altering the ecology of multicellular life-forms through symbioses. Herbivores present an example in which both of these influences are prominent; often, not only do symbiotic communities of microbes convert plant biomass into usable nutrients for their host, they also play a critical role in carbon cycling that influences global nutrient conditions and the climate. In this dissertation I explore symbioses between herbivores and their symbiotic microbial communities using fungus-growing insects, especially leaf-cutter ants, as a model. In Chapter 1, I review recent research into the composition and function of the fungus gardens of leaf-cutter ants to establish the current breadth of knowledge into these symbiotic ecosystems. In Chapter 2, I present a metagenomic and metaproteomic characterization of leaf-cutter ant fungus gardens that explores the identity and potential symbiotic role of bacteria that reside in these environments. I show that similar bacterial communities are present in the fungus gardens of different leaf-cutter ant species, and that these microbes likely play a role in nutrient biosynthesis and the provisioning of nitrogenous compounds. In Chapter 3, I present a draft genome of Leucoagaricus gongylophorus, the fungus cultivated by leaf-cutter ants, and use metaproteomic techniques to verify that this microbe produces a variety of enzymes for the degradation of plant biomass in leaf-cutter ant fungus gardens. Lastly, in Chapter 4, I use metagenomic techniques to compare the bacterial communities associated with leaf-cutter ant fungus gardens to those of other fungus-growing insects, including fungus-growing termites, Ambrosia beetles, mountain pine beetles, and southern pine beetles. Here I present evidence consistent with evolutionary convergence of these fungus-growing insects towards highly similar bacterial communities. The work presented in these chapters suggests that the fungus-bacteria communities cultivated by fungus-growing insects are simple, highly specialized, and have drastically affected the evolution of their host insect lineages. Moreover, due to the role of some fungus-growing insects as dominant herbivores and invasive pests of trees, this work underscores the importance of symbiotic microbial communities in shaping ecosystems around the planet.

Book The Social Biology of Microbial Communities

Download or read book The Social Biology of Microbial Communities written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2013-01-10 with total page 633 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beginning with the germ theory of disease in the 19th century and extending through most of the 20th century, microbes were believed to live their lives as solitary, unicellular, disease-causing organisms . This perception stemmed from the focus of most investigators on organisms that could be grown in the laboratory as cellular monocultures, often dispersed in liquid, and under ambient conditions of temperature, lighting, and humidity. Most such inquiries were designed to identify microbial pathogens by satisfying Koch's postulates.3 This pathogen-centric approach to the study of microorganisms produced a metaphorical "war" against these microbial invaders waged with antibiotic therapies, while simultaneously obscuring the dynamic relationships that exist among and between host organisms and their associated microorganisms-only a tiny fraction of which act as pathogens. Despite their obvious importance, very little is actually known about the processes and factors that influence the assembly, function, and stability of microbial communities. Gaining this knowledge will require a seismic shift away from the study of individual microbes in isolation to inquiries into the nature of diverse and often complex microbial communities, the forces that shape them, and their relationships with other communities and organisms, including their multicellular hosts. On March 6 and 7, 2012, the Institute of Medicine's (IOM's) Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a public workshop to explore the emerging science of the "social biology" of microbial communities. Workshop presentations and discussions embraced a wide spectrum of topics, experimental systems, and theoretical perspectives representative of the current, multifaceted exploration of the microbial frontier. Participants discussed ecological, evolutionary, and genetic factors contributing to the assembly, function, and stability of microbial communities; how microbial communities adapt and respond to environmental stimuli; theoretical and experimental approaches to advance this nascent field; and potential applications of knowledge gained from the study of microbial communities for the improvement of human, animal, plant, and ecosystem health and toward a deeper understanding of microbial diversity and evolution. The Social Biology of Microbial Communities: Workshop Summary further explains the happenings of the workshop.

Book Insect Fungal Associations

Download or read book Insect Fungal Associations written by Fernando E. Vega and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2005 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is an increasing interest in using fungi as bio control agents for insect pests in agricultural systems, and also a growing interest in the basic biology of insect-fungal associations from the perspective of parasitism, symbiosis and infection. This title covers topics in this field, incorporating new molecular techniques wherever possible.

Book Studies in Viral Ecology  Volume 1

Download or read book Studies in Viral Ecology Volume 1 written by Christon J. Hurst and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-06-20 with total page 389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explains the ecology of viruses by examining their interactive dynamics with their hosting species (in this volume, in microbes and plants), including the types of transmission cycles that viruses have evolved encompassing principal and alternate hosts, vehicles, and vectoring species. Examining virology from an organismal biology approach and focusing on the concept that viral infections represent areas of overlap in the ecologies of the involved species, Viral Ecology is essential for students and professionals who either may be non-virologists or virologists whose previous familiarity has been very specialized.

Book Termites and Sustainable Management

Download or read book Termites and Sustainable Management written by Md. Aslam Khan and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-02-19 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This Volume comprises 12 chapters in an attempt to bring available information on biology, social behavour and economic importance of termites. Chapters in this book dealing with termites identification provide a review on most updated information of their systematics. Ecologically, termites interact with living and non-living surroundings and deliver a wide range of behaviors. In a separate chapter termites ecology is examined and explored. Termites depend on their gut microbes for digestion of complex polysaccharides of wood into simpler molecules. Information provided on termite gut microbiome and lignocellulose degradation constitutes an important contribution. Termite biology and social behaviour have been addressed comprehensively. Trail pheromones are responsible for the orientation and recruitment of nestmates to the food sources. Once arriving at a potential food source, termites assess its quality using a different set of cues. A separate chapter on trail pheromones, cues used during foraging and food assessment, with preferences for foraging sites, contributes a wealth of information. Emphasis has been given on reviewing ecological benefits of termites in other chapters. The information with respect to termite species as an edible insect and the overall role it plays in food and nutrition security in Africa is quite informative. A separate chapter dealing with importance of termites and termitaria in mineral exploration constitutes a significant step in addressing the economic importance of this insect group.

Book The Prokaryotes

    Book Details:
  • Author : Edward F. DeLong
  • Publisher : Springer
  • Release : 2014-10-13
  • ISBN : 9783642301193
  • Pages : 567 pages

Download or read book The Prokaryotes written by Edward F. DeLong and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-10-13 with total page 567 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Prokaryotes is a comprehensive, multi-authored, peer reviewed reference work on Bacteria and Achaea. This fourth edition of The Prokaryotes is organized to cover all taxonomic diversity, using the family level to delineate chapters. Different from other resources, this new Springer product includes not only taxonomy, but also prokaryotic biology and technology of taxa in a broad context. Technological aspects highlight the usefulness of prokaryotes in processes and products, including biocontrol agents and as genetics tools. The content of the expanded fourth edition is divided into two parts: Part 1 contains review chapters dealing with the most important general concepts in molecular, applied and general prokaryote biology; Part 2 describes the known properties of specific taxonomic groups. Two completely new sections have been added to Part 1: bacterial communities and human bacteriology. The bacterial communities section reflects the growing realization that studies on pure cultures of bacteria have led to an incomplete picture of the microbial world for two fundamental reasons: the vast majority of bacteria in soil, water and associated with biological tissues are currently not culturable, and that an understanding of microbial ecology requires knowledge on how different bacterial species interact with each other in their natural environment. The new section on human microbiology deals with bacteria associated with healthy humans and bacterial pathogenesis. Each of the major human diseases caused by bacteria is reviewed, from identifying the pathogens by classical clinical and non-culturing techniques to the biochemical mechanisms of the disease process. The 4th edition of The Prokaryotes is the most complete resource on the biology of prokaryotes. The following volumes are published consecutively within the 4th Edition: Prokaryotic Biology and Symbiotic Associations Prokaryotic Communities and Ecophysiology Prokaryotic Physiology and Biochemistry Applied Bacteriology and Biotechnology Human Microbiology Actinobacteria Firmicutes Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria Gammaproteobacteria Deltaproteobacteria and Epsilonproteobacteria Other Major Lineages of Bacteria and the Archaea

Book Nourishment And Evolution In Insect Societies

Download or read book Nourishment And Evolution In Insect Societies written by James H Hunt and published by Westview Press. This book was released on 1994-03-14 with total page 472 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Examines the structure and function of insect societies from a nutritional perspective in order to foster a fuller understanding of how their social systems evolved.

Book Symbiosis

    Book Details:
  • Author : Joseph Seckbach
  • Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
  • Release : 2006-04-11
  • ISBN : 0306481731
  • Pages : 746 pages

Download or read book Symbiosis written by Joseph Seckbach and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2006-04-11 with total page 746 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Symbiosis is the fourth volume in the series Cellular Origin and Life in Extreme Habitats (COLE). Fifty experts, from over a dozen countries, review their current studies on different approaches to these phenomena. The chapters present various aspects of symbiosis from gene transfer, morphological features, and biodiversity to individual organisms sharing mutual cellular habitats. The origin of the eukaryotic phase is discussed with emphasis on cyanelles, H syntrophy, N2 fixation, and S-based symbiosis (as well as the origin of mitochondrion, chloroplast, and nucleus). All members of the three domains of life are presented for sharing symbiotic associations. This volume brings the concept of living together as `One plus One (plus One) equals One.' The purpose of this book is to introduce the teacher, researcher, scholar, and student as well as the open-minded and science-oriented reader to the global importance of this association.

Book The Fungi

    Book Details:
  • Author : Michael J. Carlile
  • Publisher : Gulf Professional Publishing
  • Release : 2001-01-09
  • ISBN : 0127384464
  • Pages : 407 pages

Download or read book The Fungi written by Michael J. Carlile and published by Gulf Professional Publishing. This book was released on 2001-01-09 with total page 407 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new edition of The Fungi provides a comprehensive introduction to the importance of fungi in the natural world and in practical applications, from a microbiological perspective.

Book Biology of Termites

    Book Details:
  • Author : Kumar Krishna
  • Publisher : Elsevier
  • Release : 2012-12-02
  • ISBN : 0323144586
  • Pages : 613 pages

Download or read book Biology of Termites written by Kumar Krishna and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2012-12-02 with total page 613 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biology of Termites, Volume I presents the anatomical, physiological, biochemical, and behavioral laboratory and field studies of termite species. Although termites have been associated mainly with damage, only less than 10% of the species have actually been recorded as pests, obscuring their important ecological role in the breakdown of vegetative matter and their variety and complexity of structure, physiology, social behavior, caste differentiation and regulation, and other aspects of their biology. After briefly describing the social organization, classification, and research history of termites, the book discusses the external morphology of these species and the similarities and differences between the various groups and the different castes. The subsequent chapters cover the internal anatomy of termites, including their digestive physiology, exocrine and endocrine glands, reproductive and nervous systems, and sense organs. Other chapters deal with the social behavior and communication in the termites and the termite colonizing flights and associated activities. The book also examines caste differentiation in the three lower termite families, namely, Hodotermitidae, Kalotermitidae, and Rhinotermitidae. This volume includes discussions on the rearing, feeding, and biochemistry of termites; the radioisotopes for feeding studies; and the moisture requirements for termite survival. The concluding chapters deal with the introduction or interception of termites by humans and their association with fungi, as well as the relationships of termite hosts with termitophiles. Termite biologists, zoologists, botanists, ecologists, behaviorists, biochemists, endocrinologists, and economic entomologists will find this volume invaluable.

Book Environmental Microbiology  Fundamentals and Applications

Download or read book Environmental Microbiology Fundamentals and Applications written by Jean-Claude Bertrand and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-01-26 with total page 933 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a treatise on microbial ecology that covers traditional and cutting-edge issues in the ecology of microbes in the biosphere. It emphasizes on study tools, microbial taxonomy and the fundamentals of microbial activities and interactions within their communities and environment as well as on the related food web dynamics and biogeochemical cycling. The work exceeds the traditional domain of microbial ecology by revisiting the evolution of cellular prokaryotes and eukaryotes and stressing the general principles of ecology. The overview of the topics, authored by more than 80 specialists, is one of the broadest in the field of environmental microbiology. The overview of the topics, authored by more than 80 specialists, is one of the broadest in the field of environmental microbiology.