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Mar. 9, 2009 09:56 AM

The gradual change in the North American climate over the next 10 years may not produce a noticeable change in termite behavior or activity. During this time, the average global temperature is expected to be 0.3 degrees warmer than in 2004. Regional changes in temperature and rainfall – hot weather, flooding – may have immediate or indirect effects on this insect. Long-term dry conditions can increase the potential for forest fires, which would eliminate colonies. Regular flooding in a region would reduce the abundance of some colonies. But, increased temperature and rainfall can also enhance tree growth, and that may increase termite populations.

Perhaps the biggest influence climate change will have on termites will be the influence it has on house construction. Building practices that emphasize energy and water efficiency, and long-term protection from wood decay, will provide termite protection.

Changes in rainfall and more temperate winter temperatures may provide suitable conditions for termites in some regions in the northern and western U.S. Termites do not normally occur in parts of these regions, primarily because the natural vegetation is prairie grass and the cold winters produce very dry conditions. (It’s not the cold, but the dryness that deters termites.) However, any movement of termites into these regions would be slow. And there may be some factors that would prevent it, such as soil bacteria, fungi or other insects that would attack worker termites as they foraged in this new habitat.

Spring climate conditions in northern regions of the U.S. can disrupt and drastically limit the swarming activity of colonies. Without extended periods of mild weather and light rainfall, swarms will not be successful and colony spread will be reduced. These conditions force colonies to resort to splitting or “budding” as their means of reproducing, which means there would be less exchange of genetic material with other colonies. Breeding between termites within a colony causes a genetic condition that reduces a colony’s internal growth potential and external growth potential to form new colonies or groups.

Reference: The Physical Science Behind Climate Change. 2007. W. Collins, R. Colman, J. Haywood, M.R. Manning, and P. Mote. Scientific American 297 (2): 62-73.

 

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