Termite mounds harness diurnal temperature oscillations for ventilation

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Hunter KingL Mahadevan

Abstract

Many species of millimetric fungus-harvesting termites collectively build uninhabited, massive mound structures enclosing a network of broad tunnels that protrude from the ground meters above their subterranean nests. It is widely accepted that the purpose of these mounds is to give the colony a controlled microclimate in which to raise fungus and brood by managing heat, humidity, and respiratory gas exchange. Although different hypotheses such as steady and fluctuating external wind and internal metabolic heating have been proposed for ventilating the mound, the absence of direct in situ measurement of internal air flows has precluded a definitive mechanism for this critical physiological function. By measuring diurnal variations in flow through the surface conduits of the mounds of the species Odontotermes obesus, we show that a simple combination of geometry, heterogeneous thermal mass, and porosity allows the mounds to use diurnal ambient temperature oscillations for ventilation. In particular, the thin outer flutelike conduits heat up rapidly during the day relative to the deeper chimneys, pushing air up the flutes and down the chimney in a closed convection cell, with the converse situation at night. These cyclic flows in...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jan 21, 2016·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Anaïs KhuongGuy Theraulaz
Sep 22, 2017·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Samuel A OckoL Mahadevan
Jan 7, 2017·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Ofer Feinerman, Amos Korman
Jan 7, 2017·The Journal of Experimental Biology·Andrea Perna, Guy Theraulaz
Jun 16, 2017·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Ben GreenJustin Werfel
Jul 9, 2020·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Paul M BarduniasJustin Werfel
Jul 7, 2017·Scientific Reports·Nikita ZachariahRenee M Borges
Nov 28, 2018·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Philipp A NauerStefan K Arndt
Jul 7, 2018·Frontiers in Psychology·Natasha Mhatre, Daniel Robert
Jul 4, 2018·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Tasos VaroudisJames S Waters
Feb 28, 2019·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Samuel A OckoL Mahadevan
Sep 25, 2020·Royal Society Open Science·Nikita ZachariahRenee M Borges
Mar 28, 2019·Science Advances·Kamaljit SinghPierre Degond
Mar 29, 2020·Royal Society Open Science·Tadeu Mendonca FagundesNeda Yaghoobian
Jul 4, 2018·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Tim Ireland, Simon Garnier
Oct 3, 2020·Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal·Sebastian OberstTheodore A Evans
Aug 26, 2020·Current Opinion in Insect Science·Sanjay P SaneSreekrishna Varma Raja
Jan 21, 2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Alexander HeydeL Mahadevan
Feb 6, 2021·Current Opinion in Insect Science·Florian Menzel, Barbara Feldmeyer
May 6, 2021·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Sebastian OberstMohammed Saadatfar
May 11, 2021·Frontiers in Robotics and AI·Nicole E CareyJustin Werfel
Jul 5, 2021·Journal of Theoretical Biology·Tadeu M FagundesNeda Yaghoobian

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