Distribution of Oribatida (Acari) along a depth gradient in forested scree slopes

Abstract

Mesovoid shallow substratum (MSS) of scree slopes constitutes a transition habitat between the soil and the network of voids in the vadose zone of a bedrock massif. In the present study, the vertical distribution of oribatid communities along a depth of 95 cm was studied at five forested MSS sites in the Western Carpathians, Slovakia. The sites differed in type of bedrock, topography and gradient of the microclimate and nutrients content. In all, 909 specimens were captured in subterranean traps exposed for one year. Most Oribatida represented edaphic forms, and their presence in the depth profile of the screes was accidental. Pantelozetes cavatica (Kunst, 1962) was the only species closely linked to deep subterranean environments found in the deeper part of the single limestone site studied. Species richness and the activity of oribatids along the scree profile at the sites clearly reflected the content of organic carbon in the soil substratum. The communities had very low numbers of individuals and low species richness at three sites with soil pH < 7 and organic carbon content in the upper soil layer ≤ 10%. However, they differed markedly in internal temperature dynamics. The other two sites, with a slightly alkaline soil pH and a higher carbon content, showed distinctly higher activity and a relatively uniform pattern of oribatid distribution across the depth profile. The soil pH and organic carbon content in the topsoil layer were substantial factors that determined the Oribatida diversity and vertical distribution in the forested screes.

Morpho-ecological structure of oribatid mite (Acariformes, Oribatida) communities in the forest litter of recultivated areas

“…Some researchers (Marian et al, 2018;Bluhm et al, 2019) showed that the species richness of oribatid mites does not depend on the litter belonging to a particular tree species. Both species richness and activity of oribatid correlates with the organic carbon content in the soil substrate (Jakšová et al, 2019). Our study clearly manifested these regularities.…”

Depth diversity gradients of macrophytes: Shape, drivers, and recent shifts

“…Improving our understanding of the biodiversity gradients and their drivers is still an important requirement to deal with impending species loss. Therefore, many studies have explored environmental gradients as explanatory variables for biodiversity patterns along different geographic scales (Rahbek, 2004 ; Whittaker et al., 2007 ) such as (a) latitude (Stehli et al., 1969 ; Rohde, 1992 ; Pontarp et al., 2019 ; Etienne et al, 2019 ), (b) elevation (Colwell & Rangel, 2010 ; Graham et al., 2014 ; Hutchinson, 1953 ; Lomolino, 2001 ; Nogués‐Bravo et al., 2008 ; Rahbek, 1995 ; Rahbek et al., 2019 ; Sanders & Rahbek, 2012 ), (c) tree height in forests (Petter et al., 2016 ), (d) depth in soils (Jakšová et al., 2019 ; Rendoš et al., 2016 ), or (e) depth in water (Gong et al., 2015 ; Rex & Etter, 1998 ; Smith & Brown, 2002 ). These geographic gradients share some environmental gradients, which are expected to influence spatial structuring of diversity gradients, for example, temperature, light, or seasonality.…”

How to map potential mesovoid shallow substratum (MSS) habitats? A case study in colluvial MSS

“…The application of this method requires: 1) deciding whether the formation of the scree slope is natural or anthropogenic, as this criteria can be biased; 2) selecting appropriate rock types within the lithology of the study site, as long as they allow the formation of scree slopes (this includes non-karst areas) and 3) taking into account vegetation coverage of the area, which can mask scree slopes in the in situ verification stage (Rendoš et al 2014;Rudy et al 2018;Jakšová et al 2019). One method to overcome this last complication is to add an updated vegetation layer to the mapping step, when available, in order to better predict these events.…”