Soil Mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) Communities and Their Relationships with Some Environmental Variables in Experimental Grasslands from Bucegi Mountains in Romania
The main objective of the study was to analyse, for the first time in Romania, the relationships between five experimental grasslands and Mesostigmata fauna, considering: (1) the structural differences between mite communities; (2) the variations in some important abiotic factors (vegetation cover,...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-03-01
|
| Series: | Insects |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/3/285 |
| _version_ | 1797470615827906560 |
|---|---|
| author | Minodora Manu Raluca Ioana Băncilă Owen John Mountford Teodor Maruşca Vasile Adrian Blaj Marilena Onete |
| author_facet | Minodora Manu Raluca Ioana Băncilă Owen John Mountford Teodor Maruşca Vasile Adrian Blaj Marilena Onete |
| author_sort | Minodora Manu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The main objective of the study was to analyse, for the first time in Romania, the relationships between five experimental grasslands and Mesostigmata fauna, considering: (1) the structural differences between mite communities; (2) the variations in some important abiotic factors (vegetation cover, soil temperature, soil moisture content, pH, soil resistance at penetration); and (3) the influence of these abiotic factors on the structures of Mesostigmata mite communities and the dispersal rates of these communities between the investigated plots. In total, 250 soil samples were analysed in July 2017, revealing the presence of 30 species, with 1163 individuals. Using the multivariate analysis, we observed that each experimental plot was defined by characteristic environmental conditions, i.e., vegetation cover, soil moisture content, and soil temperature differed significantly between the experimental grasslands. Each experimental plot was characterised by a specific indicator species and population parameters (numerical abundance and species richness). The effects of these soil variables were even demonstrated at species level: <i>Veigaia planicola</i>, <i>Geolaelaps nolli,</i> and <i>Gamasellodes insignis</i> were influenced by vegetation cover, <i>Lysigamasus conus</i> and <i>Dendrolaelaps</i><i>foveolatus</i> by soil temperature. The dispersal rates of mite communities from one plot to another were higher in the grasslands, where there were euconstant–constant species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:39:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-80904bec5d4840868f826f5ff8236242 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4450 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:39:33Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Insects |
| spelling | doaj.art-80904bec5d4840868f826f5ff82362422023-11-24T01:43:59ZengMDPI AGInsects2075-44502022-03-0113328510.3390/insects13030285Soil Mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) Communities and Their Relationships with Some Environmental Variables in Experimental Grasslands from Bucegi Mountains in RomaniaMinodora Manu0Raluca Ioana Băncilă1Owen John Mountford2Teodor Maruşca3Vasile Adrian Blaj4Marilena Onete5Department of Ecology, Taxonomy and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biology Bucharest, Romanian Academy, Street Splaiul Independenţei, No. 296, 060031 Bucharest, RomaniaFaculty of Natural Sciences, University Ovidius Constanţa, 900470 Constanţa, RomaniaCentre for Ecology and Hydrology, Maclean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UKGrassland Research and Development Institute Braşov, Romania, Cucului Str., No. 5, 500128 Braşov, RomaniaGrassland Research and Development Institute Braşov, Romania, Cucului Str., No. 5, 500128 Braşov, RomaniaDepartment of Ecology, Taxonomy and Nature Conservation, Institute of Biology Bucharest, Romanian Academy, Street Splaiul Independenţei, No. 296, 060031 Bucharest, RomaniaThe main objective of the study was to analyse, for the first time in Romania, the relationships between five experimental grasslands and Mesostigmata fauna, considering: (1) the structural differences between mite communities; (2) the variations in some important abiotic factors (vegetation cover, soil temperature, soil moisture content, pH, soil resistance at penetration); and (3) the influence of these abiotic factors on the structures of Mesostigmata mite communities and the dispersal rates of these communities between the investigated plots. In total, 250 soil samples were analysed in July 2017, revealing the presence of 30 species, with 1163 individuals. Using the multivariate analysis, we observed that each experimental plot was defined by characteristic environmental conditions, i.e., vegetation cover, soil moisture content, and soil temperature differed significantly between the experimental grasslands. Each experimental plot was characterised by a specific indicator species and population parameters (numerical abundance and species richness). The effects of these soil variables were even demonstrated at species level: <i>Veigaia planicola</i>, <i>Geolaelaps nolli,</i> and <i>Gamasellodes insignis</i> were influenced by vegetation cover, <i>Lysigamasus conus</i> and <i>Dendrolaelaps</i><i>foveolatus</i> by soil temperature. The dispersal rates of mite communities from one plot to another were higher in the grasslands, where there were euconstant–constant species.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/3/285abundancedispersionfertilizermiterichness |
| spellingShingle | Minodora Manu Raluca Ioana Băncilă Owen John Mountford Teodor Maruşca Vasile Adrian Blaj Marilena Onete Soil Mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) Communities and Their Relationships with Some Environmental Variables in Experimental Grasslands from Bucegi Mountains in Romania Insects abundance dispersion fertilizer mite richness |
| title | Soil Mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) Communities and Their Relationships with Some Environmental Variables in Experimental Grasslands from Bucegi Mountains in Romania |
| title_full | Soil Mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) Communities and Their Relationships with Some Environmental Variables in Experimental Grasslands from Bucegi Mountains in Romania |
| title_fullStr | Soil Mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) Communities and Their Relationships with Some Environmental Variables in Experimental Grasslands from Bucegi Mountains in Romania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soil Mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) Communities and Their Relationships with Some Environmental Variables in Experimental Grasslands from Bucegi Mountains in Romania |
| title_short | Soil Mite (Acari: Mesostigmata) Communities and Their Relationships with Some Environmental Variables in Experimental Grasslands from Bucegi Mountains in Romania |
| title_sort | soil mite acari mesostigmata communities and their relationships with some environmental variables in experimental grasslands from bucegi mountains in romania |
| topic | abundance dispersion fertilizer mite richness |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/13/3/285 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT minodoramanu soilmiteacarimesostigmatacommunitiesandtheirrelationshipswithsomeenvironmentalvariablesinexperimentalgrasslandsfrombucegimountainsinromania AT ralucaioanabancila soilmiteacarimesostigmatacommunitiesandtheirrelationshipswithsomeenvironmentalvariablesinexperimentalgrasslandsfrombucegimountainsinromania AT owenjohnmountford soilmiteacarimesostigmatacommunitiesandtheirrelationshipswithsomeenvironmentalvariablesinexperimentalgrasslandsfrombucegimountainsinromania AT teodormarusca soilmiteacarimesostigmatacommunitiesandtheirrelationshipswithsomeenvironmentalvariablesinexperimentalgrasslandsfrombucegimountainsinromania AT vasileadrianblaj soilmiteacarimesostigmatacommunitiesandtheirrelationshipswithsomeenvironmentalvariablesinexperimentalgrasslandsfrombucegimountainsinromania AT marilenaonete soilmiteacarimesostigmatacommunitiesandtheirrelationshipswithsomeenvironmentalvariablesinexperimentalgrasslandsfrombucegimountainsinromania |