A study was conducted to characterize termite colonies on the Nature Conservancy's Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Cross Timbers habitat in northeastern Oklahoma. The two test sites were established on a prescribed-burn area and no-burn area of the Cross Timbers habitat. Termites were identified through both morphological and molecular analyses. Foraging areas of five colonies were delineated. Numbers of termites in foraging groups, estimated using the ‘weighted mean model’, ranged from 103,093 (±7081) to 422,780 (±19,297) for Reticulitermes flavipes within the prescribed-burn area, and 44,179 (±4879) to 207,141 (±9190) for R. hageni within the no-burn area. Soldier percentages were determined for each foraging group. Estimates of foraging areas and populations are compared with those from previous studies in dissimilar tallgrass prairie habitats. Improved understanding of termite colony densities in various natural habitats provides an increased understanding of termite input in rural areas and could aid in the development of management strategies.
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