Indigenous utilization of termite mounds and their sustainability in a rice growing village of the central plain of Laos

Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine

Shinya Oba³  Nobumitsu Kawakubo³  Sengdeaune Sivilay²  Yoshinao Adachi⁴  Yuichi Matsushita¹  Mika Kokubo³  Yusaku Koyama³  Shuichi Miyagawa³ 

[1] Faculty of Agriculture, Shinshu University, Minamiminowa, Nagano, Japan;National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute, Vientiane, Lao PDR;Faculty of Applied Biological Science, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Japan;The United Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Gifu University, 1-1 Yanagido, Gifu, Japan

关键词: Termite mound;    Termite;    Paddy field;    Mound volume;    Laos;    Fertilizer;   

Others  :  863908
DOI  :  10.1186/1746-4269-7-24

 received in 2011-03-30, accepted in 2011-08-18,  发布年份 2011

【 摘 要 】

Background

The objective of this study was to investigate the indigenous utilization of termite mounds and termites in a rain-fed rice growing village in the central plain of Laos, where rice production is low and varies year-to-year, and to assess the possibility of sustainable termite mound utilization in the future. This research was carried out from 2007 to 2009.

Methods

The termites were collected from their mounds and surrounding areas and identified. Twenty villagers were interviewed on their use of termites and their mounds in the village. Sixty-three mounds were measured to determine their dimensions in early March, early July and middle to late November, 2009.

Results

Eleven species of Termitidae were recorded during the survey period. It was found that the villagers use termite mounds as fertilizer for growing rice, vegetable beds and charcoal kilns. The villagers collected termites for food and as feed for breeding fish. Over the survey period, 81% of the mounds surveyed increased in volume; however, the volume was estimated to decrease by 0.114 m³ mound^-1 year^-1 on average due to several mounds being completely cut out.

Conclusion

It was concluded that current mound utilization by villagers is not sustainable. To ensure sustainable termite utilization in the future, studies should be conducted to enhance factors that promote mound restoration by termites. Furthermore, it will be necessary to improve mound conservation methods used by the villagers after changes in the soil mass of mounds in paddy fields and forests has been measured accurately. The socio-economic factors that affect mound utilization should also be studied.

【 授权许可】

   
2011 Miyagawa et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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