Table 1 Pore size and average porosity of core and buttress from different sections of abandoned termite mound. Cube size for all samples is 101 voxels (approx. 1.3 mm). n represents sample size.

From: Bi-layered architecture facilitates high strength and ventilation in nest mounds of fungus-farming termites

 

A2 buttress

A2 core

A4 buttress

A4 core

A7 buttress

A7 core

Pore Size Mean ± S.D. (mm)

0.58 ± 0.082

0.50 ± 0.07

0.54 ± 0.07

0.53 ± 0.09

0.51 ± 0.10

0.54 ± 0.09

Mann Whitney U test on pore size (all sample points)

W = 1.3 × 1010, P <  < 0.001, n = 134,797 for buttress, n = 191,587 for core

W = 2.3 × 1010, P <  < 0.001, n = 284,972 for buttress, n = 191,587 for core

W = 2.1 × 1010, P <  < 0.001, n = 370,673 for buttress, n = 157,094 for core

Mann Whitney U test on pore size (sample points randomly reduced to 1/128th of sample size)

W = 6.0 × 105, P < 0.001, n = 1,047 for buttress, n = 1,047 for Core

W = 5.0 × 105, P < 0.001, n = 1,047 for buttress, n = 1,047 for Core

W = 4.0 × 105, P <  < 0.001, n = 1,047 for buttress, n = 1,047 for Core

KS test (on normalised frequency data shown in Fig. 4)

D = 0.081, P = 0.0028, n = 7.7 × 107 for buttress, n = 108 for Core

D = 0.237, P <  < 0.001, n = 108 for buttress, n = 108 for Core

D = 0.199, P <  < 0.001, n = 108 for buttress, n = 108 for Core

Average Porosity

0.08163

0.06617

0.08137

0.07570

0.08553

0.07987