Isolation and Characterization of Cellulolytic Bacteria from Odontotermes horni (Wasmann) and Its Nest Characters

The objective of this work was to isolate and evaluate the cellulolytic activity of gut bacteria from the subterranean termite Odontotermes horni (Wasmann), and to assess the impact of termite activity on soil chemical properties. Five culturable cellulolytic bacterial strains were isolated from the gut of O. horni. All isolates exhibited cellulolytic activity, with the highest cellulolytic index recorded in isolate T3 (1.8) and the lowest in T4 (0.78). In addition to bacterial analysis, soil samples were collected from termite nests and adjacent control areas to evaluate changes in chemical characteristics due to termite activity. Results revealed that termite-modified soils contained significantly higher (p>0.05) levels of key nutrients, including organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium, compared to surrounding control soils. These findings indicate that O. horni, through its gut microbiota and nesting behaviour, contributes to enhanced soil fertility and ecosystem functioning.