This paper analyzed seasonal dynamics of mite (Acari) aggregations, with particular attention to oribatid mites (Oribatida), in two different substrates intended for soil regeneration - shredded forest litter from Scots pine forest and pine wood chips. The study was conducted in the years 2011-2012, on microplots established within a belt of trees in a nursery in Białe Błota (Bydgoszcz Forest District). To maintain optimum moisture content, the microplots were hydrated by micro sprinklers as per the guidelines and schedule for the irrigation of nurseries, and mean soil moisture was kept at the level of 5.1-9.9 %. The mites were classified into orders and oribatid mites into species or genera, with regard to juvenile stages. A total of 4,142 mites were determined, including 2,939 oribatid mites.Mite density in the shredded forest litter, intended mainly for soil inoculation with edaphon, was similar in the initial and final period of the study. Mite density in the pine wood chips, intended for mulching degraded soils and providing optimal conditions for mesofauna development, increased over two years of the study. Oribatid mites were the most abundant mites in the analyzed samples. Mean number of their species s in the forest litter was comparable at the ...
The aim of the study was to analyze the presence of mites (Acari), with special focus on indicator oribatid mites (Oribatida), in control pine wood chips and pine wood chips enriched with peat and lignite inoculated with forest litter and irrigated. The study was conducted in 2013 on microplots (1 x 1 m) located within a belt of trees in a nursery in Białe Błota. The experiments included the following variants: C - pine wood chips, Ec - pine wood chips inoculated with forest litter, Ec+Pe - pine wood chips enriched with deacidified high peat (20%) (pH 5.5-6.5) and inoculated with forest litter, Ec+Ca - pine wood chips enriched with granulated lignite (20%) (granule size 1-10 mm) inoculated with forest litter.The addition of forest litter caused an increase in total number of mites in the control pine wood chips and those enriched with peat. Mites belonging to Mesostigmata order prevailed in control chips and those enriched with forest litter and peat, while Oribatida were dominant mites in the other variants. Considering the results for the entire year, 20% addition of peat and lignite negatively affected the presence of oribatid mites, thus indicating a reduced biological activity of the substrates. The ...
