Refine
Document Type
- Article (2)
Language
- English (2)
Has Fulltext
- yes (2)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (2) (remove)
Keywords
- Afrique de l'Ouest (2) (remove)
Institute
- Biodiversität und Klima Forschungszentrum (BiK-F) (2) (remove)
Although there is an increasing need for data in ecological studies, many datasets are still lost or not sufficiently visible due to a lack of appropriate data archives. With the West African Data and Metadata Repository, we present a secure long-term archive for a data-poor region allowing detailed documentation by metadata following the EML standard and giving data holders the opportunity to define levels of data access and conditions of use. This article gives an overview of structure, functions and content. The repository is online at the URL http://westafricandata.senckenberg.de.
Particularly in savannas, termites are ecosystem engineers and a keystone group in ecology. For the understanding of the savanna vegetation, mound building termites are of particular interest. Due to their special soil chemistry and physical structure, termite mounds often host other plants than the surrounding savanna. As our knowledge of the specific contribution of mound-building termites to overall savanna diversity and ecosystem dynamics doubtlessly is not complete, this paper summarises the state of the art in order to stimulate further research. According to the research interest of the authors, focus is laid on the West African savanna and on the genus Macrotermes.