Biodiversity of oribatid mites as a tool to monitor soil health in the agroecological transition: Digging deeper into French Mediterranean vineyards

Oribatid mites play a vital ecological role in soil ecosystems by driving key processes like decomposition and nutrient cycling. Their abundance and sensitivity to environmental changes make them valuable bioindicators of soil health. This study evaluates varying agricultural management practices through shifts in oribatid mite communities, using them as a tool to monitor the progress of the agroecological transition in Mediterranean vineyards. In autumn 2023, soil samples were collected from 30 plots consisting of conventional and organic vineyards with varying inter-row vegetation cover management intensities, as well as natural garrigue vegetation used as a reference. A total of 7574 oribatid mites were extracted using a modified Berlese-Tullgren funnel. We analyzed the effect of vineyard management practices on oribatid mite abundance, family richness, and diversity using generalized linear models. Natural systems exhibited significantly higher abundance, richness, and diversity compared to vineyard soils. Among vineyards, those with permanent vegetation cover had mite communities more similar to natural systems (p = 0.212), while temporarily covered and bare soil showed reduced richness (p < 0.001 for both) and abundance (p < 0.001 for both). No strong differences in oribatid mite abundance and richness were observed between conventional and organic vineyards (p = 0.341 and 0.053, respectively), although organic plots showed higher diversity (p = 0.0205). Indicator analysis revealed several oribatid mite families strongly associated with natural habitats and vineyards with permanent vegetation cover. These findings suggest that agroecological practices might create more suitable conditions for oribatid mites in vineyards, helping to maintain communities similar to those found in natural habitats.