Is it worth paying attention to actinedid mites in agricultural fields?

Abstract

Agricultural management increases the seasonal dynamics of soil-dwelling organisms compared to natural habitats. Our knowledge is very poor about the relationship between seasonal changes of soil microorganisms and the microbivorous soil arthropods. To reveal these connections, we have to know more about the seasonal changes of soil-dwelling microarthropods in croplands. Actinedid mites are rarely the subject of synecological studies, however, this group regularly reaches the dominant part of mite assemblages in agro-ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the seasonal density changes of actinedid mites from two independent studies of agricultural fields. Soil samples were taken from maize and wheat fields for two years, and from newly established meadows for one year in summer and autumn in Hungary. Soil-dwelling mites were enumerated and identified at the suborder level and soil parameters were measured. Actinedid mites dominated most of our soil samples. The density of Endeostigmata was the highest in the summer and the density of Heterostigmata was the highest in the autumn within one year among different crop species, soil types, and years. Endeostigmatid mites had negative relationships with soil nitrogen parameters and positive with soil moisture. Heterostigmatid mites had various relationships with soil moisture. The ecology of actinedid mites is under-examined but their high number in agricultural fields may justify the fact that they should receive more attention. We assume that Actinedida, mainly Endeostigmata and Heterostigmata are worth to investigate in croplands as a starting point to reveal the connection between the seasonality of soil mites and soil microbiota.