Seasonal and Vertical Distribution of Acarina Fauna of Grassland

Abstract

The seasonal and vertical distribution of the mites extracted from the soil and litter at a grassland site in Manisa was investigated for the period of May 2001- April 2002. The soil was sampled at four depths (litter, 0-5 cm, 5-10 cm and 10-20 cm). The vertical and seasonal distributions of mites were significant among Mesostigmata, Prostigmata, Oribatida and Astigmatina. The mites were found to be most numerous in litter (43%), then 10-20 cm depth (36.2%), 5-10 cm depth (12.8%) and 0-5 cm depth (7.8%), respectively. Among mite orders, the Prostigmata and the Astigmatina were found in greatest abundance in spring, the other two groups were found in greatest abundance in winter. The individuals of Oribatida and Prostigmata were considered hemiedaphic and eudaphic; individuals of Mesostigmata were considered predominantly hemiedaphic.

Keywords

• Grassland acarina fauna,seasonal fluctuations,vertical distribution,soil properties,Manisa,Turkey

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