Termites: Guardians Of The Soil

image credit: Daryl Fritz

The giant termite mounds that rise up from the sands of the African savanna are so distinctive it's tempting to give them names, like 'Art Deco Skyline' or 'Trumpeting Elephant.'

Whatever the metaphor, the charismatic megaforms dominate their landscape, and not just visually. As scientists are just beginning to appreciate, termites and the often elaborate habitats they construct are crucial to the health and robustness of a broad array of ecosystems: deserts and semideserts; tropical and subtropical rain forests; warm, temperate woodlands; possibly your local park.