Soil pore volume and the abundance of soil mites in two contrasting habitats

• Published in: Soil biology & biochemistry Vol. 40; no. 6; pp. 1538 - 1541
• Main Authors: Nielsen, Uffe N., Osler, Graham H.R., van der Wal, René, Campbell, Colin D., Burslem, David F.R.P.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2008; New York, NY Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Betula; Biochemistry and biology; Biological and medical sciences; Chemical, physicochemical, biochemical and biological properties; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; heathland soils; Mesostigmata; Microarthropods; mites; Oribatida; Physics, chemistry, biochemistry and biology of agricultural and forest soils; population dynamics; Sarcoptiformes; Scotland; soil arthropods; soil organic matter; soil pore system; Soil pore volume; Soil science; spatial variation; woodland soils; Zoology (interactions between soil fauna and agricultural or forest soils); Scotland; Microarthropods; Mesostigmata; Oribatida; Soil pore volume; Parasitiformes; Meiofauna; Fauna; Soils; Acariformes; Arachnida; Soil fauna; Acari; Pore; Arthropoda; Habitat; Soil science; Invertebrata; Gamasida

Microarthropods are mainly found in the organic layer of soils but show high spatial variability in abundance that remains poorly understood. A factor that could be influencing the abundance of microarthropods is the soil pore volume. Consequently, we tested the hypothesis that mite abundance is rel...