Microhabitat preferences of Oribatida and Mesostigmata (Acari) inhabiting lowland beech forest in Poland and the trophic interactions between these mites

Abstract

Five common microhabitats were selected on the forest floor (beech litter, moss on beech litter, moss on beech stumps, rotting beech wood and damp litter) and two microhabitats on beech trunks (moss collected 0.5 m and 2 m above the litter). The Oribatida had the greatest abundance in all microhabitats, with a mean density 4.2–91.2 fold higher than that of the Mesostigmata, while the species diversity of the Oribatida was similar, or at most, 2.8 fold greater, than that of the Mesostigmata. UPGMA quantitative analysis separated all moss microhabitats from the beech litter and rotting wood. Qualitative and quantitative analysis revealed similar habitat separation patterns, except for that moss on beech litter was clustered together with beech litter and rotting wood. In both analyses, the mite community of the damp litter was dissimilar from other mite communities. The maximal density of Oribatida occurred in moss on the lower part of beech trunks whereas minimum density was in damp litter, but the CCA analysis placed the Oribatida between moss on beech litter and moss on beech trunks. The maximum density of Mesostigmata occurred in beech litter and was at a minimum in rotting wood. But the CCA analysis placed the Mesostigmata between beech litter and damp litter. Significant correlations between the families of Mesostigmata and Oribatida were observed, more often evident in the juveniles than in the adults of Oribatida. These relationships are employed to explain the possible trophic interactions within the mite communities.