Soil microarthropods and their bioindicator value regarding the bio-edaphic conditions in forest ecosystems of Danube Delta

 

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Article Title: Soil microarthropods and their bioindicator value regarding the bio-edaphic conditions in forest ecosystems of Danube Delta
Authors: Călugăr A., Ivan O.
Affiliation: Institute of Biological Research Iași, Branch of National Institute of Research & Development for Biological Sciences, Bucharest, Romania
Abstract: The main objective of this study was to compare soil mesofauna communities in natural and anthropogenic forests from Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve and establish a baseline data in monitoring the disturbed sites. The abundance and diversity of edaphic microarthropods were analyzed in five plots, three of them being natural forests and two plantations (Canada poplar, and respectively willow). The mites from Trombidiformes and Oribatida were closely investigated being identified at family level. Qualitative analysis of edaphic microarthropods evidences numerical dominance of mites, excepting only one stand (Canada poplar plantation). Among mites Oribatida owns the biggest weight (76.6 – 94.1% of the total mites), followed by Trombidiformes or Mesostigmata. Among insects the collembolans hold higher density in the poplar plantation, and the lowest one in the willow plantation. Structure of mites communities differs between the investigated ecosystems both in quantitative and qualitative aspects depending on particular conditions of each plot.
Keywords: soil, forests, microarthropods, Trombidiformes, Oribatida
*Correspondence: Călugăr Adina, Institute of Biological Research, 47 Lascăr Catargi St., 700107, Iaşi, România, Tel. +40-(232)218121, Fax. +40-(232)-218121, e-mail: adina.calugar@icbiasi.ro