Ecoterm: a research project to evaluate the ecological role of termite mounds on rice producers in Cambodia

 The project

ECOTERM is a collaborative research project funded by the French National Research Agency. The research teams study termite mounds and the impact of the insects on biodiversity and the environment, specifically in the Lower Mekong River Basin. They also analyze the repercussions on the well-being of the population.

Pascal Jouquet, Director of Research at the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (iEES Paris), leads this international research project.

This research program involves several teams:

  • Ecologists analyze the impact of termite mounts on the dynamic and fertility of the soil of rice fields. They also study nutrients, plant resistance, and crop yield.
  • Pharmacists and ethnobotanists identify and study medicinal herbs and their properties.
  • Anthropologists explore the use of medicinal herbs along with the cultural and religious factors that could influence the decision to maintain or destroy the mounds.
  • Economists assess the impact of ecosystem services using surveys on rice yield, agricultural diversification, income, and health.

An international team to evaluate the impact of ecosystem services

This research project involves researchers from the CERDI, the CEREGE, the Norbert Elias Center, QaliSud (CIRAD), the Institute of Technology of Cambodia, and the Royal University of Agriculture (Cambodia). The aim is to evaluate the ecosystem services of the termite mounds, which are known to help biodiversity and soil fertility in this province.

Martine Audibert (CERDI, CNRS) and Sébastien Marchand (CERDI, Université Clermont Auvergne) supervise Chanrithy Lao's work, a PhD Student funded by the ANR (iEES, CERDI, Université Clermont Auvergne). She studies the economic opportunities that stem from ecosystem services. She recently conducted surveys to gather women's opinions on these services in Kbal Tuek in the Kampong Chhnang Province.

A sample of 500 rice farmers and their families will respond to a questionnaire and answer semi-structured interviews in February and March 2024.

The partners

More information

Data on this project are available on the IRD platform DataSuds. 

Publication 
Muon, Ratha, Chenda Lai, Vincent Hervé, Rainer Zaiss, François Chassagne, Eve Bureau‐Point, Sébastien Marchand, Martine Audibert et al. « Abundance, Perceptions and Utilizations of Termite Mounds in Cambodia ». Soil Use and Management 39, no 3 (juillet 2023): 1172‑84. https://doi.org/10.1111/sum.12893.

Photos : Chanrithy Lao