ABSTRACT
Kajiado District in Kenya is 90% semi-arid rangeland with rainfall between 400 and 800 mm a falling mainly during two rainy seasons, November/December and April/May. It has been shown that while Macrotermes michaelseni is basically a litter-feeder, competition with domestic stock for standing grass may result from drought or over-grazing. The interaction between cattle and termites during the study period is limited to the fact that grazing causes high litter levels and increased termite foraging. Grazing in the open plots was mainly in the dry season, while other areas of the ranch were used in the rainy season. If the hole was opened over-night the grass was removed, re-weighed after drying, and the weight loss calculated with allowance for losses from unutilised control arenas. The chapter seeks to assess whether the closely-related Macrotermes subhyalinus is similar in behaviour, and to describe the mechanism of the development of competition, if any.
