The mounds of the fungus termites in the Okavango Delta seem to be larger than anywhere else in Africa and they are a dominant feature of the delta. Because the water is very close to the surface the termites have to build the main part of their nest above the water table to prevent the nest from been flooded.With the first rains the aletes are released in their tens of thousands and females attempt to attract males through a pheromone release. When a pair finds each other they immediately dig a hole in the ground and begin the nest. From that time the sole purpose of the female is to lay eggs to ensure the survival of the nest. Termite mounds frequently have trees growing out of them--trees dependent on both the slightly higher ground that a termite mound automatically creates, and perhaps as well the moisture that termites bring up from the depths. Bring in a tree, and the accumulation of leaves, seeds, dust, and animal droppings starts an accumulation of soil. Termite mounds are the very cores of small islands sticking out among the floodwaters, islands that will grow with the addition of more trees and shrubs. '