Oribatida diversity in different microhabitats of Mtirala National Park

Abstract

Faunal surveys were performed in Mtirala National Park (Georgia, Caucasus). Oribatid mites were collected from four microhabitats (soil, moss, litter, decaying wood) at 15 locations from 250 to 1000 m a.s.l. Forest types included walnut (Juglans regia) plantations, mixed chestnut (Castanets sativa) forests, and beech (Fagus orientalis) forests. Our surveys revealed 124 species of oribatid mites. One species, Feiderzetes latus (Schweizer, 1956), is new for Georgian fauna and was found only in decaying beech wood at various stages of decay. Chamobates voigtsi (Oudemans, 1902) was present in all types of habitats and dominated in soil and litter samples. Liebstadia pannonica (Willmann, 1951) was numerous in decaying wood, and Mycobatidae were abundant in moss. Other species were present in moderate quantities. Simpson' s index of diversity (1-D) revealed low to moderate diversity in nearly all samples, with sampling completeness of about 80%. Hierarchical cluster analyses showed the highest similarity between the soil and lifter fauna, with dead wood being the most distinct, indicating special communities of oribatid mites exist there. No pattern of faunal changes along the altitudinal gradient was observed.