Termites and fire: Current understanding and future research directions for improved savanna conservation

Termites are considered to be major ecosystem engineers in tropical environments. However, they are often neglected and under studied, especially in grassy systems. The interaction between termites and fire ecology is one example of this. Given the importance of both fires and termites in savanna systems, it is critical for an improved ecological understanding of savanna biodiversity that the interaction between them is better understood. In this paper, we highlight the lack of published literature on fire ecology and invertebrates in austral systems, with particular focus on termites. We review the six studies conducted in savannas spanning the southern hemisphere which investigate this interaction, summarizing their findings and limitations. We suggest areas 2of future research related to fire and termites which will improve our ecological understanding of savannas and the dynamics that structure these systems.