African termites are classified into five distinct families, Termitidae, Rhinotermitidae, Hodotermitidae, Termopsidae and Kalotermitidae. Termites are undoubtedly one of the key ecosystem engineers. Because they harbour more nutritive plants, herbivory by large herbivores is biased towards mounds. Their engineering role is visible through construction of conspicuous termite mounds, which often harbour some unique species compared with the expansive ecosystem in which they occur. To understand the cascading effects of termite mounds on ecosystem functioning, we present a review on how termites create ecosystem heterogeneity, and how this heterogeneity in terms of soil physical and chemical characteristics, particularly nutrients, further influences vegetation production, diversity and palatability to large herbivores. Here we review literature mainly focusing on: (i) Phylogeny (evolutionary history) of African termites, (ii) mound construction, (iii) mound spatial distribution, (iv) termite foraging (v) termite nutrient cycling, (vi) termite influence on hydrology, (vii) termite mound influence on plant species diversity and (viii) termite mound influence on large herbivores. Our review showed that African termites are diverse, with the potential to influence ecosystems heterogeneity through soil nutrients enrichment, which in turn influences forage abundance (thicket clumps), diversity and quality. High forage quality occurring on termite mounds influences herbivory patterns in the savanna ecosystem. Herbivory is reported to be higher on termite mounds compared to the expansive savanna landscape. The most common plant family occurring on termite mounds is Capparaceae. We suggest that future studies focus more on: (1) the influence of termite mounds on plant functional traits, (2) the importance of termite mounds in dryland savanna cropping/rangeland systems, and (3) on ways to support establishment of mound building termite species.

非洲白蚁分为五个不同的科，即白蚁科，犀牛科，白蚁科，白蚁科和角膜科。白蚁无疑是关键的生态系统工程师之一。由于它们具有更多的营养植物，因此大型食草动物的食草偏向丘陵。通过构造显眼的白蚁土丘，可以看到它们的工程作用，与它们所处的广阔生态系统相比，白蚁土丘通常具有一些独特的物种。为了了解白蚁丘对生态系统功能的级联影响，我们对白蚁如何造成生态系统异质性以及土壤物理和化学特性（尤其是养分）方面的异质性如何进一步影响植被的生产，多样性和对大型草食动物的适口性进行了综述。 。在这里，我们回顾主要集中在以下方面的文献：（i）非洲白蚁的系统发生（进化史），（ii）土丘构造，（iii）土丘空间分布，（iv）白蚁觅食（v）白蚁养分循环，（vi）白蚁影响（vii）白蚁丘对植物物种多样性的影响和（viii）白蚁丘对大型草食动物的影响。我们的评论表明，非洲白蚁种类繁多，有潜力通过土壤养分富集来影响生态系统的异质性，进而影响草料的丰度（i群），多样性和质量。在白蚁丘上发生的高草料质量会影响热带草原生态系统中的草食模式。据报道，与广阔的稀树草原景观相比，白蚁丘上的草食性更高。白蚁丘上最常见的植物家族是辣椒科。我们建议未来的研究应更多​​地关注：（1）白蚁丘对植物功能性状的影响；（2）白蚁丘在旱地稀树草原种植/牧场系统中的重要性；以及（3）支持建立丘陵建筑的方法白蚁种类。