Effect of copper smelting air pollution on the mites (ACARI) associated with young scots pine forests polluted by a copper smelting works at Głogów, Poland. II. Soil mites

Abstract

Abstract. The soil mites were investigated in the areas covered with dead needles in young Scots pine forests (plant association Leucobryo-Pinetum), polluted by a copper smelting works at Gtog6w, and in a control plot. The concentration of heavy metals, mainly copper and lead, was the lowest in the control plot, and increased towards the pollution source. A high concentration of these metals reduced the density of mites and species number of Oribatida and Gamasida, while small concentrations were associated with the increasing abundance of mites and species number of Oribatida. Among mites, the following categories were distinguished: a) sensitive to heavy metals, b) sensitive to a high concentration, but tolerant of small concentrations, and c) tolerant of these metals. The changed vertical distribution of mites in the most polluted soil was also observed, due to accumulation of heavy metals in the Of/h horizon.

Ecotoxicological and Fertilizing Effects of Dewatered, Composted and Dry Sewage Sludge on Soil Mesofauna: A TME Experiment

“…Moreover, because of the button-up regulation of the soil decomposersÕ food-webs, any effect on the microbial populations may affect the soil fauna indirectly (Salminen et al, 2002). PAHs decrease the Astigmata abundance but stimulate the remaining members of the soil invertebrate community (Erstfeld and Snow-Ashbrook, 1999) and heavy metals are particularly active against Mesostigmata and Cryptostigmata (Seniczak et al, 1996). The most important antagonistic effect for polluted sludge may appear between its contrasting fertilizing and toxic effects.…”

Effect of pollution with cement dust on the edaphic gamasid mite fauna (Acari: Gamasina) in different forest ecosystems from romania

“…In Europe, many scientific works have been dedicated to the estimation of the effect induced by different types of industrial pollution on the edaphic microarthropods, including the mites (Seniczak et al 1997, 1999, Zaitsev et al 2001, Seniczak et al 2002, Skubala and Kafel 2004, Khalil et al 2009Santamaria et al 2012), which have even been proposed as soil quality bioindicators (Athias -Binche 1981, Karg 1989, Parisi et al 2005, Gulvik 2007, Gergócs and Hufnagel 2009.…”

The effect of nursery measures on mycorrhizal colonisation of Scots pine and occurrence of soil mites

“…Oribatid mites composed about 70% of all mites in typical forest soils. The density of these mites in Scots pine forests is distinctly higher than that in the studied nursery, for example in Scots pine greenwood the density of Oribatida ranged 49,220 to 258,810 individuals m -2 (Seniczak et al, 1997). The increased density of oribatid mites after treatment of mulching can be recognized as a very positive result of this measure because this confirm that the edaphon introduction was well-timed and that the gatherings of mites were advantageously reconstructed and adapted to the structure which is specific for forest soils in that oribatid mites play a very important role.…”