Soil mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) communities and their relationships with some environmental variables in experimental grasslands from Bucegi Mountains in Romania

Manu, Minodora; Băncilă, Raluca Ioana; Mountford, Owen John; Maruşca, Teodor; Blaj, Vasile Adrian; Onete, Marilena. 2022 Soil mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) communities and their relationships with some environmental variables in experimental grasslands from Bucegi Mountains in Romania. Insects, 13 (3), 285. 20, pp. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13030285

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/insects13030285

Abstract/Summary

The main objective of the study was to analyse, for the first time in Romania, the relationships between five experimental grasslands and Mesostigmata fauna, considering: (1) the structural differences between mite communities; (2) the variations in some important abiotic factors (vegetation cover, soil temperature, soil moisture content, pH, soil resistance at penetration); and (3) the influence of these abiotic factors on the structures of Mesostigmata mite communities and the dispersal rates of these communities between the investigated plots. In total, 250 soil samples were analysed in July 2017, revealing the presence of 30 species, with 1163 individuals. Using the multivariate analysis, we observed that each experimental plot was defined by characteristic environmental conditions, i.e., vegetation cover, soil moisture content, and soil temperature differed significantly between the experimental grasslands. Each experimental plot was characterised by a specific indicator species and population parameters (numerical abundance and species richness). The effects of these soil variables were even demonstrated at species level: Veigaia planicola, Geolaelaps nolli, and Gamasellodes insignis were influenced by vegetation cover, Lysigamasus conus and Dendrolaelapsfoveolatus by soil temperature. The dispersal rates of mite communities from one plot to another were higher in the grasslands, where there were euconstant–constant species.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13030285
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	UKCEH Fellows
ISSN:	2075-4450
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.
Additional Keywords:	abundance, dispersion, fertilizer, mite, richness
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	06 Apr 2022 13:31 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/532424

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.3390/insects13030285

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

UKCEH Fellows

ISSN:

2075-4450

Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:

Open Access paper - full text available via Official URL link.

Additional Keywords:

abundance, dispersion, fertilizer, mite, richness