Termites Infesting Malaysian Forests: Case Study from Bornean Forest, Sabah, Malaysia

The tropical rainforest of Borneo is known to be one of the hotspots for its biodiversity. This ancient lowland tropical forest has been continuously investigated and studied for its various ecosystem functions. One of the many researches that have been conducted here includes the study pertaining to termite’s importance in the ecosystem, several of which have been documented, especially in Sabah. Termites play important ecological roles in the tropical forest and their function or species composition changes with the alteration of the habitats. Species composition together with feeding and nesting behaviors can be important indicators to determine the pest species, in view of control or prevention methods. In this chapter, we consider the termite assemblages of few primary forest stands in Sabah, the effect of forest disturbance which may promote pest species, the patterns of termite infestation in natural and disturbed habitats, and some control practices in replanted forests and plantations.