Responses of water mite assemblages (Acari) to environmental parameters at irrigated rice cultivation fields and native lakes

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Many studies have revealed that water mite communities can be affected by the physical and chemical parameters of the water. The similarity between the water 'mite assemblages in local water bodies and in irrigated rice areas can be a way to measure the water conditions, enabling an assessment of the anthropic impact in the environment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of water mites in lakes and irrigated rice fields in south Brazil. To accomplish that we characterized the distinctive environments using physical and chemical variables such as pH, turbidity (NTU), water temperature (°C) and dissolved oxygen (mg/L), in order to verify the influence of these abiotic factors on the species composition of water mite communities; and to compare water mite abundance, richness and composition among different habitats.We assessed three native lakes and four sites with irrigated rice cultivation. Our results showed, for the first time in Brazil, strong correlations between the water mite fauna and turbidity. In addition, native lakes were richer and had greater mite abundance when compared with the irrigated rice areas. KEY WORDS. Coastal plain, habitat, physical and chemical variables, rice field, water mite.

The Riparian Vegetation has Effects on the Faunal Diversity

“…Macrophyte plants offer favorable surroundings for numerous host taxa, playing a vital role in the colonization and dispersion of new patches by aquatic mites (Martin 2008). Therefore, the presence of macrophytes in general across river beds probably is a factor influencing aquatic mite diversity (da Silva et al, 2017). The dependence of a few species of Arrenurus on the abundant growth of macrophytes has been reported by Wiecek et al (2013).…”