Morphological modifications among oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) in relation to habitat differentiation in mangrove forests

We examined morphological modifications among oribatid species in five microhabitats in mangrove forests in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. A total of 89 oribatid species were recorded from canopy (leaves and branches), bark of flooded trunks (trunks of 0–50 cm high and knee roots), bark of other trunks higher than 50 cm, and littoral algae in mangrove forests, and the forest-floor soil in an adjacent bank forest. There were no significant differences in the body length, body width, and notogastral length among oribatid species from the five microhabitats. The mean sensillus length of the oribatid species from the forest-floor soil was about twice as long as that from the other microhabitats. Claw morphology was characterized by two attributes: number (monodactyly and tridactyly) and length. In the canopy and trunks, the proportion of tridactyl species was higher than that of monodactyl species. On the other hand, the proportion of tridactyl species in the forest-floor soil accounted for only about 20%, and that in the flooded trunks and littoral algae approximated to zero. The mean claw length was larger in the oribatid species from the flooded trunks and littoral algae than in both monodactyl and tridactyl species from every other microhabitat. Trydactyl species with short claws in the arboreal environments might have been selected by a compromise between grip and mobility for unpredictable environmental changes such as wind and rain. The dominance of monodactyl species with a longer claw in the littoral environments implies a consequence of selection for regular tidal flooding, which requires oribatids to grip tighter on the substrate. The modifications in claw morphology of oribatid mites in mangrove forest might be interpreted as adaptations to a difference in the predictability of the environmental conditions of microhabitats.     

Oribatid mite and collembolan diversity, density and community structure in a moder beech forest (Fagus sylvatica): effects of mechanical perturbations

The effects of mechanical perturbations on two soil microarthropod communities (oribatid mites and collembolans) were investigated in a moder beech forest on sandstone. We disturbed the soil matrix by sieving and mixing the litter and soil of the moder profile. The top litter layer (L material) and the deep mineral soil (Bv) remained intact. Three amounts of disturbance were established: a single perturbation, perturbations once every 2 months (60 d) and once every 2 weeks (14 d). Densities of most groups of oribatid mites and all groups of collembolans declined in the disturbance treatments. In most cases, densities were lowest in the strong perturbation treatment (14 d). Desmonomata were the only group of oribatid mites that benefited from intermediate amounts of disturbance but not from the strongest disturbance. Also, disturbances reduced diversity of oribatid mites and collembolans. According to their sensitivity to disturbances oribatid mites ranked Poronota=Enarthronota=Suctobelbidae (the most sensitive)>Oppiidae>Tectocepheus>Desmonomata. The ranking of collembolans was Folsomia (the most sensitive)>Hypogastruridae/Neanuridae>Onychiuridae=Isotomidae>Entomobryidae. Generally, tolerance of disturbance was wider for oribatid mites than for collembolans. The results indicate that disturbances such as mixing of litter and soil and comminution of litter material strongly affect the density and diversity of soil microarthropods. However, they also indicate that the soil microarthropod community is resistant to weaker disturbances. In the field, mechanical disturbances are often caused by burrowing of earthworms. Our results suggest that the high density of microarthropods in moder soils may be due to the low intensities of mechanical disturbances by earthworms.     

Oribatid mites in urban zones of West Berlin

Summary A comparison is made between oribatid fauna (Acari, Oribatida) in the urban regions of West Berlin and forest areas. There are characteristic species compositions living in urban soils, in epilithic moss cushions or on the bark of trees. The urban environment obviously causes a change in the species pattern in these types of habitats and minimizes the number of species in central urban regions. The most important regional factors are probably relative aridity, air pollution and habitat isolation, showing a similar increasing tendency from sub-urban to central regions of West Berlin. The effects of air pollution (SO2) on moss-inhabiting oribatid mites are analysed in 13 sites of the urban district of West Berlin. The use of moss- and bark-dwelling mites as bioindicators of air pollution is discussed.Soil oribatids might be useful bioindicators of soil pollution in further research.Dedicated to the late Prof. Dr. M.S. Ghilarov     

Responses of oribatid mites to tree girdling and nutrient addition in boreal coniferous forests

Tree girdling has been experimentally used to stop the allocation of carbohydrates from the canopy to tree roots and their associated ectomycorrhizal (EM) mycelia. We used three already established girdling experiments in northern Sweden, one in a Pinus sylvestris stand and two in Picea abies stands, to determine the effect of tree girdling on soil-living oribatid mites. These mites often feed on fungal hyphae, but it is not known to what extent they feed on EM or saprotrophic fungi. We hypothesised that a presumed decline in EM fungi after girdling would strongly reduce EM-feeding specialists and, correspondingly, reduce total abundance and species richness of oribatids in girdled plots. Tree girdling resulted in a significant decline in total abundance of oribatid mites in the two spruce stands, which was assumed to be linked to the decline in EM fungi, but not in the pine stand. Species richness decreased in girdled plots in one of the spruce forests. The decline in total abundance in girdled spruce stands was primarily dependent on a significant and consistent population decrease in Oppiella nova, which was the most abundant oribatid mite in the ungirdled spruce plots. Its abundance after girdling was only 8–18% of that in ungirdled spruce plots. In the pine stand, O. nova had much lower abundance than in the spruce stands, and despite a tendency to decline in number after girdling also in the pine stand, it had a minor effect on total abundance. These results suggest that O. nova may be dependent on EM fungi in spruce forest soils, whereas the dependence on EM fungi in pine forest soils is less evident.     

Effects of microhabitat diversity and geographical isolation on oribatid mite (Acari: Oribatida) communities in mangrove forests

The effects of microhabitat diversity and geographical isolation on the structure of oribatid communities were studied in mangrove forests on the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. The study took place at three sites on two islands 470 km apart. Oribatid mites (Oribatida) were extracted from leaves, branches, bark of trunks (0-50, 50-100, and 100-150 cm high) and of knee roots, and from forest-floor soil and littoral algae, each defined as a microhabitat of oribatid mites. At the 0-50 cm height, the species composition of the oribatid communities on the knee-root bark and the bark of trunks of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza differed significantly from that on the other microhabitats. This difference was attributed to tidal flooding of the mangrove forests. Cluster analysis showed that oribatid communities in the same microhabitat at different sites tended to be more similar than those on different microhabitats at the same site. This implies that the species composition of oribatid communities in mangrove forests is more likely to be affected by factors responsible for microhabitat diversity (characterized specifically by the flooded trunks) than by geographical distance between the islands.     

Species diversity and metal accumulation in oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) of forests affected by a metallurgical plant

A study was made of oribatid mite communities and their responses to metal contamination derived from the Kosogorsky metallurgical plant located in the Tula District, Russia. Mite communities were sampled in three different seasons in four sites at different distances from the smelter. Concentrations of zinc, copper, cadmium, lead and iron were measured in ten mite species. The data show that the mite community as a whole is quite tolerant to the metal contamination caused by the Kosogorsky plant. At the polluted sites some species typical for nutrient-rich soils appeared, but community structure and species diversity were not seriously affected by metal contamination. In general, oribatid mites accumulated metals to very high internal concentrations. Average Cu, Cd, Pb and Fe concentrations did not differ significantly between species, but Zn did, and its level was associated with the mode of feeding of the species. Microphytophagous species, feeding exclusively on fungi, accumulated zinc in higher concentrations than other mites. This study illustrates the potential for bioindication by the little studied but species-rich group of soil oribatids.     

A comparison of microarthropod assemblages with emphasis on oribatid mites in canopy suspended soils and forest floors associated with ancient western redcedar trees

Microarthropod abundance, oribatid mite species richness and community composition were assessed in the high canopy (ca. 35 m) of an ancient temperate rainforest and compared with microarthropod communities of the forest floor. Microarthropods were extracted from 72 core samples of suspended soils and 72 core samples from forest floors associated with six western redcedar trees in the Walbran Valley on the southwest coast of Vancouver Island, Canada. Total microarthropod abundances, mesostigmatid and astigmatid mites, Collembola and other microarthropod abundances were significantly greater in forest floors compared to canopy habitats. Oribatid and prostigmatid mite abundance were not significantly different between habitats. The relative abundances of all microarthropod groups considered in this study differed significantly between habitats. Eighty-eight species of oribatid mites were identified from the study area. Eighteen of the 53 species observed in suspended soils were unique to the canopy. Cluster analysis indicates that the arboreal oribatid mite community is distinct and not a taxonomic subset of the forest floor assemblage, however, canopy oribatid mite communities are more heterogeneous in species composition than in the forest floor.     

Effects of forest stand type on oribatid mite (Acari: Oribatida) assemblages in a southwestern Quebec forest

Despite the ubiquity of oribatid mites in soil and litter systems, and their importance in decomposition and nutrient cycling processes, little is known of the factors underlying the composition of their assemblages. Our objective was to address this by determining how oribatid assemblage composition changes by forest stand type. This work was done in and near a hardwood forest in southwestern Quebec, Canada. We sampled mites by collecting 1 L of litter and 170 cm³ of soil from four sites in each of four distinct habitat types: American beech stands, sugar maple stands, mixed deciduous stands and mixed conifer plantations. Samples were collected in July and September 2005, and June 2006, and over 6500 oribatid mites were collected and identified to species. Abundance and species richness differed between forest types: for abundance conifer>beech>maple>mixed deciduous while for species richness beech and conifer>maple>mixed deciduous. Ordination analyses revealed that conifer plantations and beech stands supported distinct assemblages, while there were some overlap in the assemblages found in maple stands and mixed deciduous stands. These data support the importance of aboveground plant communities in affecting the composition of oribatid assemblages even at local scales and provide insight into additional impacts that may be caused by shifts in plant species ranges due to global changes.     

Molecular detection of nematode predation and scavenging in oribatid mites: Laboratory and field experiments

Recent stable isotope analyses indicate that a number of putative detritivorous soil microarthropods is not typical detritivores but rather live as predators or scavengers. Using molecular gut content analyses the present study investigates if nematodes indeed form part of the diet of oribatid mites. First, in a no-choice laboratory feeding experiment two nematode species (Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita and Steinernema feltiae) were offered to eight species of oribatid mites and one gamasid mite. Second, after feeding for 4 and 48 h on each nematode species the detection time of prey DNA in the oribatid mite species Steganacarus magnus was investigated. Third, in a field experiment nematode prey (P. hermaphrodita and S. feltiae) in the diet of microarthropods was investigated distinguishing between scavenging and predation. In the no-choice laboratory experiment not only the gamasid mite but also several of the studied oribatid mite species consumed nematodes. After feeding on nematodes for 4 h prey DNA was detectable in S. magnus for only 4 h, but after feeding for 48 h prey DNA was detectable for 128 h, indicating that the duration of feeding on prey is an important determinant for prey DNA detection. The field experiment confirmed that oribatid mite species including Liacarus subterraneus, Platynothrus peltifer and S. magnus intensively prey on nematodes. Interestingly, DNA of dead P. hermaphrodita was detectable to a similar degree as that of living individuals indicating that scavenging is of significant importance in decomposer food webs. Results of our study indicate that predation and scavenging on nematodes by “detritivorous” microarthropods in soil food webs need to be reconsidered.     

Connectivity of litter islands remaining after a fire and unburnt forest determines the recovery of soil fauna

Forest wildfires can dramatically affect soil communities and reduce abundance and diversity of soil fauna. The recovery of soil animals after a fire depends both on immigration from the unburnt forest and on local survival in less-burnt spots, but the relative importance of these mechanisms is poorly known. Therefore, these factors were studied with regard to soil macrofauna and soil mites seven years after a wildfire occurring in a pine forest area with shallow soil in 2001 in central Sweden. Three replicate transects, each consisting of four plots were studied. The plots were located in (i) the unburnt forest close to the fire edge; (ii) slightly burnt patches directly attached to the unburnt forest; (iii) slightly burnt patches surrounded by bare rock but connected to the unburnt forest edge by a corridor with mostly unburnt litter and vegetation; and (iv) island patches not connected with a corridor to the unburnt forest edge. The hypothesis was that that soil animals would particularly disperse from the unburnt forest to moderately burnt plots inside a burnt area via the network of less-burnt corridors. Poor dispersers would be especially few in the island patches lacking connection to the “mainland”, whereas good dispersers would be independent of gaps in connectivity. As expected, the highest abundance of both macrofauna and oribatid mites was found in the unburnt forest. Resident soil macro- and mesofauna representatives had half the abundance in the edge and corridor plots as compared to the control, but their abundance was not lower in the island plots than in the corridor plots indicating on-site survival and recovery. Mobile mesostigmatid mites did not show any significant reduction of abundance in any of the plots. The abundance of soil-dwelling oribatid mites did not differ between islands and unburnt forest, but mobile aboveground oribatids had significantly lower abundance on the islands than in the unburnt forest. The opposite was observed for aboveground and belowground oribatid mite species richness. In conclusion, belowground animals showed mainly local survival and seemed to be independent of corridors presence, whereas most aboveground and mobile macro- and mesofauna seemed to be more responsive to isolation induced by forest fires. Soil and litter corridors connecting unburnt patches inside the burnt forests with the unburnt edges were important mainly for less mobile groups of soil macrofauna. This supports the idea that there is a relatively slow process of soil ecosystem recovery and that external colonization of the burnt areas dominates over the local survival and recovery from refuges.     

Oribatid mite communities and foliar litter decomposition in canopy suspended soils and forest floor habitats of western redcedar forests, Vancouver Island, Canada

Litter decomposition and changes in oribatid mite community composition were studied for 2 years in litterbags collected from arboreal organic matter accumulations (canopy suspended soils) and forest floors associated with western redcedar trees on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We tested the hypotheses that lower rates of mass loss, higher nutrient levels, and different patterns of oribatid mite richness and abundance in decomposing western redcedar litter would be observed in litterbags associated with canopy suspended soils compared to forest floors. Decomposition, measured by mass loss of cedar litter in litterbags, was not significantly different in canopy and forest floor habitats, although reduced in the canopy. Abundance and richness of oribatid mites inhabiting litterbags were significantly greater on the forest floor compared to the canopy suspended soils. Canopy suspended soils had higher levels of total nitrogen, available phosphorus and potassium than the forest floor, but moisture content was significantly lower in the suspended soils. Higher nutrient levels in the canopy system are attributed to differences in coarse woody debris input (but not foliar litter), combined with reduced nutrient uptake by roots and lower mobilisation rates of nutrients by detritivorous and fungivorous microarthropods. Moisture limitation in the canopy system possibly contributed to lower mass loss in litterbags, and lower abundance and richness of oribatid mites in litterbags placed on canopy suspended soils. Patterns of oribatid mite community composition were related to mite communities associated with the underlying substrate (forest floor or canopy suspended soil) which act as source pools for individuals colonising litterbags. Successional and seasonal trends in oribatid mite communities were confounded by moisture limitation at 24 months, particularly within the canopy habitat.     

Little effect of forest age on oribatid mites on the bark of trees

This study investigates the effect of forest age (20-, 50-, 160-year-old, and primeval forest) on oribatid mite communities on the bark of oak trees in the National Park Pusza Białowieża in eastern Poland. We hypothesized that oribatid mite diversity on bark peaks at forests of intermediate age and that the number of parthenogenetic species of oribatid mites is highest in young stands. In contrast to these hypotheses, the diversity, density, number of juveniles, community structure and the mode of reproduction of oribatid mite species were not significantly affected by forest age. None of the oribatid mite species occurred exclusively on trees of a specific age. The results suggest that oribatid mite communities on the bark of trees are minimally affected by tree harvesting regimes. In contrast to oribatid mites in soil, communities on bark appear to be less sensitive to disturbances.     

Effect of Alkaline Deposition on the Mites (Acari) associated with Young Scots Pine Forests in Poland

The effect of alkaline deposition produced by the ‘Kujawy’ cement and lime factory in Bielawy, Poland, on the mites in young Scots pine forests (plants class Vaccinio-Piceetea) was investigated. The concentration of calcium in tree bark and epiphytes, which provide a habitat for mites, as well as in soil was the lowest in the control plot, and increased in the direction of the factory. A high concentration of calcium correlated with an absence of lichens from tree bark, but a medium concentration was associated with a higher species number of lichens. The density of arboreal mites and the species number of Oribatida were the highest in the control plot and decreased when getting closer to the factory. In a highly contaminated plot, the density of soil mites was lower, while in a medium contaminated plot it was higher than in the control plot. In the contaminated plots, the species number of soil Oribatida and Gamasida was lower than in the control plot, except in a least contaminated plot where the number of gamasid species was higher than in the control plot. Some species were sensitive to calcium, others were sensitive to a high concentration but tolerated medium and small concentrations of this element, and yet others tolerated calcium. The arboreal mites reacted to alkaline deposition more distinctly than soil mites.     

集约型水稻种植体系中可降解酚的铁还原细菌的动态

The major soil animal groups,enchyraeid worms and oribatid mites,were compared in the abundance and diversity between conventional fields(CT)and organic farming fields with tillage(OT) or no-tillage(ON)practices,The values of abundance,species richness,diversity and evenness were significantly larger in OT and ON than in CT,indicating that the abundance and diversity in organic farming fields were greater than those in conventional farming,The community structure of enchytraeid genera was different between OT and ON,Enchytraeus was the most abundant in OT ,while Fridericia in ON,The abundance of oribatids in OT was similar th that in ON,while the species richness and diversity in the former were smaller,These results suggeste that no-tilage practice under organic management might comtribute to the improvement in quality of soil mesofauna.     

Do oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) show a higher preference for ubiquitous vs. specialized saprotrophic fungi from pine litter?

Previous studies of oribatid mite feeding preferences for different saprotrophic fungi were limited to ubiquitous fungal species, whereas saprophytes specialized to decompose particular substrates have been neglected. We examined the preference of seven oribatid mite species (Adoristes ovatus, Eniochthonius minutissimus, Eueremaeus silvestris, Nothrus silvestris, Oppiella subpectinata, Porobelba spinosa and Spatiodamaeus verticillipes) for nine autochthonous saprotrophic fungi from Scots pine litter (Pinus sylvestris). Among the fungal species offered were specific coniferous litter colonizers (Allantophomopsis lycopodina, Ceuthospora pinastri, Hormonema dematioides, Scleroconidioma sphagnicola, Verticicladium trifidum, Marasmius androsaceus and Sympodiella acicola) and two ubiquitous species (Cladosporium herbarum and Oidiodendron griseum). The fungi were inoculated on fragments of pine needles and offered simultaneously and separately to the mites. Our main hypothesis, that oribatid mites (usually occurring in more than one type of ecosystems) would prefer the ubiquitous fungal species rather than those specific to pine litter, was supported only partly. The ubiquitous C. herbarum was highly preferred by all studied mites, but most of them preferred one or more of the specialized fungi with similar intensity. The basidiomycete M. androsaceus along with sterile needles were consistently avoided by all mites in all experiments. Our results do not support the hypothesis, that the “true” fungivorous oribatid mites in traditional sense are more selective fungal feeders than are the “unspecialized” panphytophagous ones. We observed no gradation in preference of fungi for oribatid mites as a group, but rather a discontinuous and dynamic mosaic with particular mites preferring particular fungal species. This heterogeneous mosaic shapes the feeding niches occupied by particular oribatid mite species and probably reduces competition for food source among numerous species coexisting in a given habitat and time.     

The effect of lime and compost amendments on the potential for the revegetation of metal-polluted, acidic soils

The revegetation of soils affected by the historic pollution of an industrial complex in central Chile was studied. Spontaneous and assisted revegetation and changes in the physicochemical properties of the soils were evaluated in field plots that were amended with lime or lime + compost. Lime had no effect on plant productivity in comparison with the control, whereas the incorporation of lime + compost into the soil increased the plant cover and aboveground biomass. The application of lime + compost increased the plant productivity of Chrysanthemum coronarium (a species sensitive to the atmospheric emissions from the industrial complex), thus showing effective in situ stabilization of soil contaminants. Regression analyses suggested that the plant response was due to the increase in the soil organic matter content rather than to the increase in the soil pH. The aboveground biomass and plant cover did not differ under the spontaneous and assisted revegetation regimes. The native soil seed bank was sufficient for attainment of the proper plant cover and biomass production after the application of the soil amendments. Although the pCu²⁺ in the amended soils was 4 orders of magnitude higher than in the unamended control, the shoot Cu concentration was similar among most of the combinations of plant species and amendments.     

Tree identity surpasses tree diversity in affecting the community structure of oribatid mites (Oribatida) of deciduous temperate forests

The role of tree diversity and identity as determinants of soil animal community structure is little understood. In a mature deciduous forest dominated by beech we identified clusters of one, two and three tree species of beech, ash and lime allowing to investigate the role of tree species diversity and identity on the density and community structure of oribatid mites. To relate oribatid mite community structure to environmental factors we measured leaf litter input, fine root biomass, mass of organic layers, topsoil pH and C and N content. We expected oribatid mite density to increase with increasing tree diversity, but we expected the effects of tree species identity to override effects of tree diversity. Further, we hypothesized the density of oribatid mites to be reduced by the presence of beech but increased by the presence of lime and ash. As expected tree diversity little affected oribatid mite communities, whereas tree species identity strongly altered density and community structure of oribatid mites. However, in contrast to our expectations the density of oribatid mites was highest in presence of beech indicating that many oribatid mite species benefit from the presence of recalcitrant litter forming thick organic layers. Especially Oppioidea benefited from the presence of beech presumably due to an increased availability of food resources such as fungi and nematodes. Lower density of oribatid mites in monospecific clusters of lime and ash suggests that oribatid mites did not benefit from high quality litter of these species. Notably, large and strongly sclerotized oribatid mite species, such as Steganacarus magnus and Chamobates voigtsi, benefited from the presence of ash and lime. Presumably, these large species better resist harsh microclimatic conditions in shallow organic layers.     

Population responses of oribatid mites and collembolans after drought

To compare the effects of a drought disturbance on species of Oribatida and Collembola, and subsequent recovery of their populations after the drought, we examined a Norway spruce, Picea abies, stand in south-western Sweden, where 6 years of experimentally induced summer droughts had resulted in major changes in the soil faunal communities. We followed the population densities during a 4-year period and sought correlations between the species’ drought responses and their ecological characteristics. Data on depth preference, habitat choice and reproductive mode were collected from the literature. Surface-living species, which tended to have narrow habitat width, were less negatively affected by the drought. However, among species showing negative population responses to drought, species with large habitat widths tended to recover faster after the drought. Furthermore, parthenogenesis was more common among the oribatid species that showed a population recovery than among those that did not. Overall, collembolan species recovered faster than oribatids, and among the species that did not recover, Oribatida were over-represented. No general differences in characteristics between oribatids and collembolans were observed that could explain their different responses. Possibly, traits other than those examined were more important, such as differences in dispersal rates between the two groups.     

Influence of disturbance and nitrogen addition on plant and soil animal diversity in grassland

Two key determinants of biological diversity that have been examined in aboveground and aquatic systems are productivity, or resource supply, and physical disturbance. In this study, we examined how these factors interact under field conditions to determine belowground diversity using microarthropods (mites and Collembola) as our test community. To do this, we established a field manipulation experiment consisting of crossed, continuous gradients of nitrogenous (N) fertilizer addition (up to 240 kg N ha^?1) and disturbance (imitated trampling by cattle) to produce a gradient of soil nutrient availability and disturbance. Due to the relatively short-term nature of our study (i.e. 2 years), we only detected minimal changes in plant diversity due to the experimental manipulations; in the longer term we would expect to detect changes in plant diversity that could potentially impact on soil fauna. However, disturbance reduced, and additions of N increased, aboveground biomass, reflecting the potential effects of these manipulations on resource availability for soil fauna. We found that disturbance strongly reduced the abundance, diversity, and species richness of oribatid mites and Collembola, but had little effect on predatory mites (Mesostigmata). In contrast, N addition, and therefore resource availability, had little effect on microarthropod community structure, but did increase mesostigmatan mite richness and collembolan abundance at high levels of disturbance. Oribatid community structure was mostly influenced by disturbance, whereas collembolan and mesostigmatan diversity were responsive to N addition, suggesting bottom-up control. That maximal species richness of microarthropod groups overall occurred in undisturbed plots, suggests that the microarthropod community was negatively affected by disturbance. We found no change in microarthropod species richness with high N additions, where plant productivity was greatest, indicating that soil biotic communities are unlikely to be strongly regulated by competition. We conclude that the diversity of soil animals is best explained as a combination of their many varied life history tactics, phenology and the heterogeneity of soils that enable so many species to co-exist.     

Oribatid mite community structure and tree species diversity: A link?

Differences in tree species may lead to contrasting soil environments via differences in litter chemical quality and physical environmental factors, such as soil type and soil moisture. However, separating the effects of litter quality and physical environment is difficult under field conditions. Both litter quality and soil environment affect the species composition of the soil animal community. A diversity gradient of canopy tree species (11–25 species) located on homogeneous soil substrate at Tomakomai Experimental Forest of Hokkaido University was used to analyse the relationship between tree species diversity and oribatid mite community structure. Soil samples were collected from three levels of tree species richness (high, intermediate and low) with three replicates each, in July 2000. Leaf area index (LAI) was positively correlated with tree species diversity suggesting higher litter input into the soils with increasing tree diversity. However, the tree species diversity gradient affected neither accumulation of litter on the forest floor nor abundance and species richness of oribatid mites. Canopy and understory plant species richness, LAI, total soil carbon and biomass of epigeic and endogeic earthworms did not significantly affect mite community structure as indicated by redundancy analysis (RDA). The results suggest that oribatid mite community structure is minimally affected by tree species diversity and associated changes in litter diversity.