Contribution of oribatid and mesostigmatid soil mites in ecologically based estimates of global species richness

Abstract

Erwin's method for estimating total global species richness assumes some host-specificity among the canopy arthropods. This study examined possible host habitat specialization in two major groups of soil arthropods, the oribatid and mesostigmatid mites, by sampling beneath three tree species: Eucalyptus pilularis Smith, Eucalyptus propinqua Deane and Maiden and Allocasuarina torulosa (Aiton) L. Johnson. The sample sites were in the Lansdowne State Forest, New South Wales, Australia and the three tree species were selected on the basis of their known differential effects on soil. Sampling was conducted over three seasons, and 79 oribatid and 34 mesostigmatid species were identified from 25 196 and 3634 individuals, respectively. Tree species had little effect on mite species composition with only three oribatid species and no mesostigmatid species identified as host-habitat specialists using a niche breadth measure. Of mite species found under E. pilularis, E. propinqua and A. torulosa trees, 2%, 1% and 0% were defined as host-habitat specialists, respectively. In contrast, tree species had significant and consistent effects on mite community structure, which differed in relative abundance of the oribatid species, their size class distributions and species rankings. In the mesostigmatid communities, there was a difference in the ranking of the mite species among tree species. Although it was demonstrated that tree species have an impact on the soil environment, the differences between tree species were insufficient to change species composition. The low degree of host-habitat specialization suggested that other factors were more important for determining mite species composition at a site, and soil mite host-habitat specialization may not make a large contribution to estimates of total global species richness using methods such as those proposed by Erwin (1982).

Plant-conservative agriculture of acid and degraded Raña-grassland enhances diversity of the common soil mites (Oribatida)

“…munity (Osler & Beattie, 2001;Porazinska et al, 2003;St John et al, 2006). Our results agree with last premise: there are cumulative richness equality between fields and involving crop treatment (NF wild herbs=EF cultivated herbs; Fig.…”

“…By a first and strict point of view, traditional agriculture practices can decrease the heterogeneity, richness and abundance of oribatids (Edwards & Lofty, 1975;Siepel & Van de Bund, 1988;Hülsmann & Wolters, 1998;Pandit & Bhattacharya, 2000;Arroyo & Iturrondobeitia, 2006;Minor & Cianciolo, 2007). Contrasting with last assumption, the recuperation of degraded agrosystems is related to a positive and bidirectional relationship between plant biomass and soil animals (Osler & Beattie, 2001;De Deyn et al, 2003;Wardle et al, 2004;Gormsen, 2006;St John et al, 2006). This relationship follows a chronosequence model suggested by Maharning et al (2009): in the early stage of recuperation increases the species richness and later, their abundance.…”

Are Soil Mite Assemblages Structured by the Identity of Native and Invasive Alien Grasses?

“…Vascular plants are often used as indicators of more cryptic organisms associated with them. Plants can influence soil community structure (Bardgett et al 1999, Yeates 1999, Osler and Beattie 2001, De Deyn et al 2004, Wardle et al 2004, St. John et al 2006) and vice versa (De Deyn et al 2003, Wardle et al 2004. This approach has been questioned (Ødegaard 2000(Ødegaard , Novotny et al 2002, and whether plant species are a good indicator of soil dwelling species is still contentious (Hooper et al 2000).…”

Impact on soil‐dwelling arthropods in citrus orchards of spraying horticultural mineral oil, carbaryl or methidathion

“…The number of arthropod individuals per square metre in the control plots at Peats Ridge and Kulnura averaged about 7000 and 1800, respectively, whereas about 4000 were obtained by Thomas and Meats (1999) in autumnal leaf litter in a peach orchard and tens of thousands per square metre of oribatid and mesostigmatid mites were obtained by Osler and Beattie (2001) in Lansdowne State Forest (northern New South Wales). An analogous set of contrasts can be made in terms of the numbers of species reported in each type of habitat.…”