Comparison of endogeic and cave communities: microarthropod density and mite species richness

2004 ◽  
Vol 40 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 129-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xavier Ducarme ◽  
Henri M. André ◽  
Georges Wauthy ◽  
Philippe Lebrun
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Mite Species

scholarly journals Plant inhabiting mites (Acari) from the Cerrado biome of Mato Grosso State, Brazil

Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2061 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
PETERSON R. DEMITE ◽  
REINALDO J. F. FERES ◽  
ANTONIO C. LOFEGO ◽  
ANIBAL R. OLIVEIRA
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Riparian Forest ◽  
Mite Species ◽  
Southern Region ◽  
Undescribed Species ◽  
Mato Grosso ◽  
Specific Identification ◽  
Cerrado Biome ◽  
Frequent Species

This study reports on the mites associated with plants in two Cerrado formations: Cerradão and Riparian Forest, located in Itiquira, in the southern region of Mato Grosso State, Brazil. A total of 67 mite species was collected, belonging to 20 families in the suborders Gamasida, Actinedida, Acaridida and Oribatida. Phytoseiidae (13 species) and Tarsonemidae (11 species) were the families with the greatest richness. Iphiseiodes zuluagai (Denmark & Muma) (Phytoseiidae), Lamellobates (Lamellobates) sp. (Oribatida, Austrachipteriidae) and Agistemus sp. (Prostigmata, Stigmaeidae) were the most frequent species, collected on eleven, ten and nine plant species, respectively. Among the plants found during the fieldwork, the plant species Bauhinia longifolia (Bong.) Steud. (Caesalpinaceae), collected in the Riparian Forest formation, contained the highest species richness (28 species). The specific identification of approximately 70% of the taxa collected was not possible. For these reasons, surveys of mites in natural areas that include estimates of the ratio of undescribed species are important, because they provide a panorama of the great diversity of unknown mite fauna in these environments.

scholarly journals Mite Communities (Acari, Mesostigmata) in the Initially Decomposed ‘Litter Islands’ of 11 Tree Species in Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Forest

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacek Kamczyc ◽  
Marcin K. Dyderski ◽  
Paweł Horodecki ◽  
Andrzej M. Jagodziński
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Pinus Sylvestris ◽  
Scots Pine ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Abies Alba ◽  
Mite Species ◽  
Soil Mesofauna ◽  
Species Richness And Diversity ◽  
Mite Communities

Replacement of native deciduous forests by coniferous stands was a common result of former European afforestation policies and paradigms of forest management and led to considerable ecological consequences. Therefore, the most popular management strategy nowadays in multi-functional forestry is the re-establishment of mixed or broadleaved forests with native species on suitable habitats. However, our knowledge about the effects of tree species introduced into coniferous monocultures on soil mesofauna communities is scarce. We investigated abundance, species richness and diversity of Mesostigmata mite communities in decomposed litter of seven broadleaved (Acer platanoides L., A. pseudoplatanus L., Carpinus betulus L., Fagus sylvatica L., Tilia cordata Mill., Quercus robur L., Q. rubra L.) and four coniferous (Abies alba Mill., Larix decidua Mill., Picea abies [L.] Karst., Pinus sylvestris L.) species. We collected 297 litterbags after 6, 12 and 18 months of exposition in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) monocultures in Siemianice Experimental Forest (SW Poland). Generally, species richness and diversity in litter samples were much lower than in the soil mite pool. The highest abundance was found in P. sylvestris and A. alba litter, while the lowest was found in A. platanoides. The most abundant families were Zerconidae, Parasitidae, Veigaiidae, and Trachytidae. Our study revealed that neither species richness nor diversity were affected, but that mite abundance was affected, by the tree species (litter quality). The mite communities were similarly comprised in both high- and low-quality litter and mite abundance decreased during the decomposition process in nutrient-poor Scots pine forests. Moreover, few mite species benefited from the decomposed litter. Additionally, a litter of various tree species was inhabited mainly by eu- and hemiedaphic mite species. Mite assemblages in A. alba, P. sylvestris, and Q. robur litter had higher abundances. Exposition time seems to be an important driver in shaping the mite community during the early stages of litter decomposition.

Patterns of species richness and interaction structure of predatory mites (Acari) in different Brazilian vegetation

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-102
Author(s):  
Walter Santos De Araújo ◽  
Paulo Henrique Costa Corgosinho ◽  
Rodrigo Damasco Daud
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Predatory Mites ◽  
Mite Species ◽  
Interaction Networks ◽  
Environmental Constraints ◽  
Ecological Interactions ◽  
Interaction Structure ◽  
Ecological Features ◽  
Mite Family

Predatory mites are inquilines on the surface of leaves where they forage, find shelter and reproduce. Richness of predatory mites and their interactions with the host plants could be dependent on ecological features of the vegetation. We investigate the interaction networks composed by predatory mites and their host plants in xeromorphic and non-xeromorphic habitats in Brazil. Plant-mite interaction networks were described by the following parameters: mite species richness, network connectance, and network nestedness. We have analyzed 41 plant-mite networks composed by 138 predatory mite species, 248 host plant species and 1,099 distinct interactions. Predatory mites were represented by 13 families. Phytoseiidae was the most speciose mite family with 89 species, followed by Cunaxidae (8) and Stigmaeidae (8). Networks from non-xeromorphic habitats presented higher mite species richness in comparison to xeromorphic ones. Similarly, network connectance and nestedness were larger within non-xeromorphic habitats than within xeromorphic habitats. Our results revealed that plant-mite networks are richer and more densely connected in non-xeromorphic habitats than in xeromorphic habitats. This could be explained by the less severe ecological and environmental constraints in non-xeromorphic vegetation, which is responsible for a more diverse mite community, allowing the establishment of more complex ecological interactions. 

scholarly journals Mites (Arachnida: Acari) collected on rubber trees Hevea brasiliensis (Willd. ex A.Juss.) Müll.Arg. in Santana, Amapá state, Brazil

2012 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 915-918 ◽  
Author(s):  
EG. Deus ◽  
MSM. Souza ◽  
JLC. Mineiro ◽  
R. Adaime ◽  
RS. Santos
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Hevea Brasiliensis ◽  
Rubber Tree ◽  
Mite Species ◽  
The State ◽  
Tree Leaves ◽  
The Family ◽  
Unidentified Species ◽  
Microscope Slides

The purpose of this study was to elaborate a preliminary list of the mite species associated with rubber trees in the municipality of Santana, in the state of Amapá, Brazil. Two collections of rubber tree leaves were conducted on May 2nd and June 5th , 2010. Twenty-five plants were sampled at random. Three leaves were collected per plant, from the lower third of the crown. The samples were placed in paper bags, packed in an isothermal box chilled gel-based pulp plant (Gelo-X®), and transported to the Entomology Laboratory at Embrapa Amapá, in Macapá. The leaflets were examined under a stereomicroscope, and the mites found on the adaxial and abaxial surfaces of the leaves were collected with a stilet, mounted on microscope slides in Hoyer's medium, and later identified. We collected a total of 1,722 mites of 10 families: Acaridae, Cunaxidae, Eriophyidae, Iolinidae, Phytoseiidae, Stigmaeidae, Tarsonemidae, Tenuipalpidae, Tydeidae, and Winterschmidtiidae, in addition to unidentified species of the suborders Oribatida and Astigmatina. The family Phytoseiidae represented only 2.90% of specimens collected, but showed the highest species richness (5 species). The only representative of Tenuipalpidae was Tenuipalpus heveae Baker, 1945, but 81.13% of the mites collected in this study belonged to this species.

Investigating effects of host-plant diversity on Brazilian mite richness in natural ecosystems

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (8) ◽  
pp. 1598
Author(s):  
Walter Santos de Araujo ◽  
Rodrigo Damasco Daud
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Host Plant ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Mite Species ◽  
Natural Vegetation ◽  
Natural Ecosystems ◽  
Host Plant Species ◽  
Taxonomic Range

Plant-inhabiting mites are among the most diverse arachnid groups in terrestrial ecosystems. Because plant mites depend on their host plants, plant-related characteristics can be expected to be good predictors of mite diversity in natural vegetation, as observed for other groups of plant-inhabiting arthropods. Here, we use plant-related characteristics to predict plant mite diversity in Brazilian natural vegetation. We compiled a total of 206 mite species recorded on 343 host plant species, the majority from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes. Among the plant taxa that hosted the highest mite richness are the families Euphorbiaceae, Meliaceae and Fabaceae, and the genera Trichilia (Meliaceae), Actinostemon and Alchornea (Euphorbiaceae). Mite species richness in different Brazilian inventories was positively influenced by sampled plant species richness and taxonomic range of sampled plants. In addition, we also found a positive correlation between plant family size (the number of plant species in a family) and total mite richness and predatory mite richness. Based on our analyses, we estimated a potential 20685 plant mite species for Brazil, which is almost 100 times higher than the number currently compiled in this study. Our findings suggest the richness of host plant species an important predictor of Brazilian mite diversity and revels that the current record of mite species richness for Brazil is only a small fraction of the potential diversity harbored by rich Brazilian flora.

scholarly journals Crenal Habitats: Sources of Water Mite (Acari: Hydrachnidia) Diversity

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 316
Author(s):  
Ivana Pozojević ◽  
Vladimir Pešić ◽  
Tom Goldschmidt ◽  
Sanja Gottstein
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Mite Species ◽  
Karst Region ◽  
Water Mites ◽  
Water Mite ◽  
Karst Springs ◽  
Dinaric Karst ◽  
Groundwater Surface Water Interaction ◽  
First Time

Many studies emphasized the role that water mites play within the invertebrate communities of spring ecosystems, regarding species diversity and its significance within the crenal food web, as well as the specific preferences water mites exhibit towards spring typology. In pristine natural springs with permanent flow, water mites are nearly always present and usually display high diversity. This study aimed to determine whether significant differences in water mite assemblages between rheocrene (river-forming springs with dominant riffle habitats) and limnocrene (lake-forming springs with dominant pool habitats) karst springs could be detected in terms of species richness, diversity and abundance, but also in different ratios of specific synecological groups: crenobiont (exclusively found in springs), crenophilous (associated with springs) and stygophilous (associated with groundwater) water mite taxa. Our research was carried out on four limnocrenes and four rheocrenes in the Dinaric karst region of Croatia. Seasonal samples (20 sub-samples per sampling) were taken at each spring with a 200-µm net, taking into consideration all microhabitat types with coverage of at least 5%. Water mite abundance was found not to differ between morphological spring types. Significantly higher values of species richness and diversity indices were found in rheocrenes compared to limnocrenes, like those usually reported for this type of springs. However, unlike the studies previously reported, in this case, the higher shares of crenophilous and crenobiont water mite individuals were found in limnocrenes. The differences between stygophilous water mite taxa ratios among spring morphotypes were not statistically significant, indicating that the degree of the groundwater/surface water interaction (and water mite interaction therein) does not seem to be directly influenced by spring morphotype. Within this research, 40% of identified water mite species (eight out of twenty) were recorded for the first time in Croatia, thus highlighting again a huge gap in water mite knowledge of karst springs.

scholarly journals Microhabitats and oribatid fauna: comparison of 2 sampling approaches

2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piotr Skubała
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Mite Species ◽  
Oribatid Mites ◽  
Standard Approach ◽  
Litter Layer ◽  
Forested Area ◽  
M 10 ◽  
Complex Approach ◽  
Small Plot

AbstractOribatid fauna highly varies among habitats, but different microhabitats within a habitat are also characterized by different mite species. The main goal of the research was to compare the observed structure of an oribatid community when samples were collected at random from the soil-litter layer of 0-10 cm in depth (standard approach) and selectively from 6 types of available microhabitats (complex approach). Samples were taken within a small plot (10 m × 10 m) in a forested area of the Silesian Park (Chorzów, south Poland). Overall, 2642 specimens of Oribatida belonging to 62 species were collected in 66 samples. The structure of the oribatid community observed by means of the 2 sampling approaches was completely different. The abundance and species richness of oribatid mites collected from 6 microhabitats were significantly higher than in the soil-litter layer alone. Results of this study show that random collecting of only soil-litter samples may reduce the evaluation of species richness in a study area by 40%. Each of the studied microhabitats supported a peculiar oribatid fauna.

Dominance determines fish community biomass in a temperate seagrass ecosystem

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Matthius Eger ◽  
Rebecca J. Best ◽  
Julia Kathleen Baum
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Community Biomass ◽  
Ecosystem Valuation ◽  
Species Abundances

Biodiversity and ecosystem function are often correlated, but there are multiple hypotheses about the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Ecosystem functions such as primary or secondary production may be maximized by species richness, evenness in species abundances, or the presence or dominance of species with certain traits. Here, we combined surveys of natural fish communities (conducted in July and August, 2016) with morphological trait data to examine relationships between diversity and ecosystem function (quantified as fish community biomass) across 14 subtidal eelgrass meadows in the Northeast Pacific (54° N 130° W). We employed both taxonomic and functional trait measures of diversity to investigate if ecosystem function is driven by species diversity (complementarity hypothesis) or by the presence or dominance of species with particular trait values (selection or dominance hypotheses). After controlling for environmental variation, we found that fish community biomass is maximized when taxonomic richness and functional evenness is low, and in communities dominated by species with particular trait values – those associated with benthic habitats and prey capture. While previous work on fish communities has found that species richness is positively correlated with ecosystem function, our results instead highlight the capacity for regionally prevalent and locally dominant species to drive ecosystem function in moderately diverse communities. We discuss these alternate links between community composition and ecosystem function and consider their divergent implications for ecosystem valuation and conservation prioritization.

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