title: Oribatida (Acari) in grassy arable fallows are more affected by soil properties than habitat age and plant species.
abstract: Oribatid mites are one of the numerically dominant arthropod groups in soils. They play an important role in soil food webs via regulating the decomposition of organic matter and propagating microorganisms within the soil. To our knowledge, the influence of different plant functional groups on oribatid mites has not been studied in abandoned farmland with undisturbed succession before. The density and assemblage structure of oribatid mites in nine grassy arable fallows relative to three habitat age classes (2-3, 6-8, 12-15 years) and three selected plant species (legume:Medicago sativa, forb:Taraxacum officinale, grass:Bromus sterilis) were investigated in soil associated with single plants. Mite density declined marginally not significant with habitat age because of high abundances of the ubiquitous speciesTectocepheus velatus sarekensisandPunctoribates punctumin young and mid-aged fallows and their subsequent decline in old fallows. Oribatid mite density and species assemblage were not affected by plant species. OnlyP. punctumhad significantly higher densities inB. sterilissamples than inT. officinalesamples due to a higher amount of fine roots. Distance-based linear models revealed that 65% of the variation in mite assemblage was explained by soil properties, soil type, exposition and geographic position, while habitat age was of minor importance. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that the mite assemblage was best explained by soil organic and microbial carbon, water content and pH.
authors.affiliation: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Department of Integrative Biology & Biodiversity Research, Institute of Zoology, Gregor Mendel Straße 33, A-1180 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wissuwa
authors.affiliation: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Department of Integrative Biology & Biodiversity Research, Institute of Zoology, Gregor Mendel Straße 33, A-1180 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Jörg-Alfred
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Salamon
authors.affiliation: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Department of Integrative Biology & Biodiversity Research, Institute of Zoology, Gregor Mendel Straße 33, A-1180 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Frank
keywords: Arable fallows; Assemblage analysis; Habitat age; Oribatida; Plant functional group; Soil properties; Soil type