Type of broadleaf forest matters most for ptyctimous mite communities (Acari, Oribatida) in Norway ...

• Main Authors: Seniczak, Anna, Niedbała, Wojciech, Iturrondobeitia, J. Carlos, Seniczak, Stanisław, Roth, Steffen, Jordal, Bjarte H.
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Dryad 2021
• Subjects: FOS Biological sciences; Holtan; Kjeøya; Leirvik; Norway; Solvang; Fennoscandia; Mite
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.np5hqbzsn; https://datadryad.org/stash/dataset/doi:10.5061/dryad.np5hqbzsn

We studied ptyctimous moss mites, which are characteristic of forest habitats, in Norwegian broadleaf forests considered as biodiversity hotspot areas in Fennoscandia. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of different factors (regional locality, annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, forest type, forest wetness and microhabitat) on the ptyctimous mites and on discovering their richness in broadleaf forests. Samples were collected from nine broadleaf forests in western, southern and eastern Norway, in different climatic conditions, six forest types, three forest wetness states and eight microhabitats. Overall, 3,341 ptyctimous mites were collected and their abundance differed significantly among the regions, forest types and microhabitats. Forest type turned out to be the most important factor, responsible for 24.5% of the total variation in the abundance of the ptyctimous mites. Other important factors were forest wetness and microhabitat. In total, 27 species, i.e., 87% of all ptyctimous mites ... : Study sites Samples were collected in nine broadleaf forest (Fig. 2). Two of them were located in Western Norway (Neshalvøya − referred later as W1 and Kolneset − referred as W2), five in Southern Norway (Leirvik − S1, Søyland − S2, Verpåsen − S3, Solvang − S4, and Stamsøy − S5) and two others, in eastern part of the country (Kjeøya – E1 and Opstad − E2). They were categorized to six different forest types (Fig. 3). One of these types (a rich broadleaf forest) was represented by four forests, each located in a different vegetation zone. All study sites were characterized by an oceanic climate but differed in the temperature and precipitation (Table 1). The sampling areas in Western Norway have high precipitation, relatively cool summer (10-15°C in July and August) and mild winter (with average temperature in the coldest month, February -2°C, Holtan 2009). The study site W1 was situated close to a stream floating along small vertical rock formations, where the bedrock consisted mainly of schist and some ...