A geotechnical perspective on soil-termite interaction: Role of termites in unsaturated soil properties

Ankit Garg; Vinay Kumar Gadi; Hong-Hu Zhu; Ajit K Sarmah; P Sreeja; Sreedeep Sekharan

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164864

A geotechnical perspective on soil-termite interaction: Role of termites in unsaturated soil properties

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Oct 15:895:164864. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164864. Epub 2023 Jun 16.

Authors

Ankit Garg¹, Vinay Kumar Gadi², Hong-Hu Zhu³, Ajit K Sarmah⁴, P Sreeja⁵, Sreedeep Sekharan⁶

Affiliations

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Shantou University, China. Electronic address: ankit@stu.edu.cn.
² Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cardiff University, United Kingdom. Electronic address: gadivk@cardiff.ac.uk.
³ School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China. Electronic address: zhh@nju.edu.cn.
⁴ Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, The Faculty of Engineering, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand. Electronic address: a.sarmah@auckland.ac.nz.
⁵ Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India. Electronic address: sreeja@iitg.ernet.in.
⁶ Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India. Electronic address: srees@iitg.ernet.in.

PMID: 37331385
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164864

Abstract

The soil-insect interaction has gathered significant attention in the recent years due to its contribution to bio-cementation. Termites, as a group of cellulose-eating insects, alter physical (texture) and chemical (chemical composition) properties of soil. Conversely, physico-chemical properties of soil also influence termite activities. It is vital to understand the soil-termite interaction and their influence on hydraulic properties and shear strength of soil, which are related to a series of geotechnical engineering problems such as ground water recharge, runoff, erosion and stability of slopes. In this study, an attempt has been made to review the latest developments and research gaps in our understanding of soil-termite interaction within the context of geo-environmental engineering. The hydraulic properties and shear strength of termite modified soil were discussed with respect to soil texture, density and physico-chemical composition. The incorporation of hysteresis effect of soil water characteristic curve, and spatio-temporal variations of hydraulic conductivity and shear strength of termite modified soil is proposed to be considered in geotechnical engineering design and construction. Finally, the challenges and future trends in this research area are presented. The expertise from both geotechnical engineering and entomology is needed to plan future research with an aim to promote use of termites as maintenance engineers in geotechnical infrastructure.

Keywords: Ecology; Shear strength; Soil-termite interaction, soil hydraulic properties.

Publication types

Review