Termites foretell climate change in Africa's savannas
Tuesday, September 7, 2010 - 11:21
in Biology & Nature
Using sophisticated airborne imaging and structural analysis, scientists mapped more than 40,000 termite mounds over 192 square miles in the African savanna. They found that their size and distribution is linked to vegetation and landscape patterns associated with annual rainfall. The results reveal how the savanna terrain has evolved and show how termite mounds can be used to predict ecological shifts from climate change.