Termite Mound Structural and Greenhouse Gas Flux Measurements

Featuring measurements from 29 termite mounds of three species, quantifying external and internal structure using photogrammetry and image analysis. It includes data on epigeal volume, surface area, basal area, macro-porosity, and micro-porosity, with comparisons to water-displacement and x-ray tomography methods. The data supports improved accuracy in estimating methane emissions from termite mounds.

Use Cases

• Compare epigeal volume (VE) measurements from photogrammetry against water-displacement methods to validate field techniques.
• Analyze species-specific differences in macro-porosity (θM) and micro-porosity (θµ) using data from x-ray tomography scans of 17 mounds.
• Estimate methane (CH4) emission errors by comparing results from photogrammetry-derived surface area (AE) against simple geometric shape approximations.
• Assess the relationship between mound basal area (AB) and internal porosity fractions across three termite species.

Strengths

• Data is derived from 29 physical termite mounds, providing a concrete sample size.
• Includes cross-validation of methods, such as photogrammetry against water-displacement and image analysis against full x-ray tomography scans.
• Focuses on three distinct termite species (Tumulitermes pastinator, Macrognathotermes sunteri, Microcerotermes nervosus), allowing for comparative analysis.

Limitations

• Sample size is limited to 29 mounds, which may restrict statistical power for broad ecological inferences.
• Internal structure data from full x-ray tomography (CT) scans is available for only 17 of the 29 mounds.
• Geographic origin of the mounds is not specified, potentially limiting the generalizability of findings.

Provenance

Source

Dryad digital repository.

Collection Method

Field measurements using photogrammetry and cross-section image analysis, with validation via water-displacement and x-ray tomography.

Freshness

Last updated in June 2020.