The aim of the study was to assess modifications in the community of soil mesostigmatid mites’, as indicator of environment stability with land-use change across 2–4 texturally distinct soils in La Mé and Grand Lahou, Côte d’Ivoire. The fieldwork was carried out in humid period on two study sites: 1– rubber landscape (secondary forest, 7-, 12- and 25-year-old rubber plantations) and 2– oil palm landscape (secondary forest, 13-, 20- and 39-year-old oil palm plantations). Three sampling stands were established in each land-use type and age class, for a total of 24 sampling stands. On each sampling stands, soil cores for Gamasid mite’s extraction were taken at 10 cm soil depth through a 40–50 m transect. Our findings highlighted a drop of mesostigmatid mites’ density (–49% and –52%), species richness (–41% and –40%), and diversity (–35% and –49%), respectively after conversion of the secondary forests into rubber and oil palm plantations. The soil with clayey sandy and clayey textures favored the development of the mesostigmatid mites, particularly in the abundance and species richness of Uropodina. However, the soil with sandy clayey textures improved the abundance and species richness of Gamasina. The mesostigmatid mites’ community was degraded in sandy-textured soils. In light of the Maturity Index values, a better quality of soil and environment was detected in the secondary forests compared to plantations. The results also suggest that the mesostigmatid mites’ community influence the soil nutrients and probably plant productivity indirectly by influencing the populations of their prey.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.