Scientists have discovered that termites are thriving in our rapidly warming world; they are likely to worsen climate change by changing the planetary carbon cycle as a result.
In a study published by Science (behind a paywall), researchers were surprised by how much these insects love the increasing temperatures and moisture from climate change, primarily in tropical and sub-tropical ecosystems. The deadwood in these forests is a significant large carbon store just waiting to burn or decompose; the study focused on how termites play a critical role in its decomposition and how much CO2 they release into the atmosphere. The process is a new global warming feedback loop that will challenge our ability to discover solutions to the breakdown of the biosphere.
Previous studies focused only on the decay of dead wood by microbial activity. Researchers in the Science study found that termites are more sensitive than microbes to temperature increases leading to their increased wood consumption playing a "larger role in global wood decomposition as the climate warms."
Termites are part of a balanced ecosystem and a natural part of the carbon cycle; that has changed for the worse as soupy heat expands their territory poleward.
A researcher noted, "If the deadwood pool is consumed quickly, then the carbon stored there will rapidly be released back to the atmosphere. But if decay is slow, then the size of the deadwood pool can increase."
Trees play a critical role in the global carbon cycle by absorbing CO2 in photosynthesis. Trees can live a very long time if given a chance by humans by reducing the greenhouse gases in the air that lead to overheating the biosphere.
Trees store carbon in their biomass and root systems; those trees that don't survive in the short or long term fall on the forest floor and are consumed by microbes and insects; the process stores the carbon partly in the soil and releases part into the atmosphere.
In a separate study published in Nature in 2021, scientists found that the "amount of carbon released from deadwood is equivalent to roughly 115 percent of the emissions from fossil fuels," adds Dr. Werner Rammer, a scientist at TUM who played the leading role in the global calculations." They found tropical forests "At 93 percent, tropical forests contribute disproportionately to this result due to their high wood mass combined with their rapid decomposition processes."
Alexander Cheesman et al, write in The Conversation:
Our results were synthesized in a model to predict how termite consumption of deadwood might change globally in response to climate change.
Over the coming decades, we predict greater termite activity as climate change projections show suitable termite habitat will expand north and south of the equator.
This will mean carbon cycling through the deadwood pool will get faster, returning carbon dioxide fixed by trees to the atmosphere, which could limit the storage of carbon in these ecosystems.
Reducing the amount of carbon stored on land could then start a feedback loop to accelerate the pace of climate change.
We have long known human-caused climate change would favor a few winners but leave many losers.
It would appear the humble termite is likely to be one such winner, about to experience a significant global expansion in its prime habitat.