Inventory of Acari in the soil and litter of GSMNP
Inventory of Acari in the soil and litter of GSMNP
The extreme biodiversity of mites inhabiting the soil and litter of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) has yet to be documented by the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI). At present, only four terrestrial mite species are officially listed in the inventory. I propose to collect mite specimens from historical ATBI sample residues and also from soil and litter samples representing several distinct forest and sub-alpine soil communities in the Park. I expect to identify many species from the four suborders of mites commonly found in the soil, especially Oribatida and Mesostigmata.
Abstract
Terrestrial mites inhabiting the forest soil and leaf litter were sampled between April 2007 and February 28, 2008 to provide additions to the ATBI of the Great Smoky Mountains. Mites were surveyed in the field using a variety of sampling methods including high-gradient Tullgren extraction from soil cores, pitfall trapping, and Winkler extractions from leaf litter. Samples were collected from the Cades Cove deer herbivory exclosures, Brushy Mountain, Thomas Divide, Mount Sterling, and Ramsey Cascade to encompass productivity and elevational gradients. Additional specimens were obtained from ATBI trap residues and literature searches. Field surveys produced 41 new park records from the order Acariformes. Literature searches indicate that many species of mites that are known to occur in the southern Appalachian region that are likely to inhabit the GSMNP, and that many more species have been collected historically inside the park boundaries. The 2007 survey is a good beginning to understanding mite diversity in soil and litter of the Great Smoky Mountains Park.
