Quantitative assessment of the dispersal of soil-dwelling oribatid mites via rodents in restored heathlands

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60077344%3A_____%2F22%3A00566595" target="_blank" >RIV/60077344:_____/22:00566595 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/00216208:11310/22:10453707

Result on the web

<a href="https://repository.uantwerpen.be/docman/irua/415711/192565.pdf" target="_blank" >https://repository.uantwerpen.be/docman/irua/415711/192565.pdf</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9653" target="_blank" >10.1002/ece3.9653</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Quantitative assessment of the dispersal of soil-dwelling oribatid mites via rodents in restored heathlands

Original language description

Heathland restoration using topsoil removal requires the re-colonization of above- and belowground communities. Oribatid mites play a key role in the comminution of organic matter and are frequently early colonizers during succession despite their limited mobility. Whereas the assembly of their communities may take decades, passive dispersal likely dominates colonization processes, but especially dispersal via other animals (phoresy) remains poorly studied. Compared to other potential hosts, movement habits and ecology of small rodents may provide dispersal advantages to oribatid communities. We studied dispersal of oribatid mites via small rodents in restored heathland sites of different age. We measured movement patterns of small rodents and extracted mites from their pelts and nests to estimate annual contributions of these rodents to the dispersal of oribatids. We also discussed phoretic estimates reported on other host groups as a reference. Probability estimates of oribatids in pelts and nests showed lower occurrence frequencies compared to other reported phoretic hosts. However, local rodent communities may aid the dispersal of up to 41,000 oribatid mites per year. We highlight the high diversity of oribatid species mounting rodents, unlike strong species-specific filters reported in other passive pathways. We found that over half (58%) of the oribatid species reproduced asexually and over a third (32%) had a soil-dwelling lifestyle. We also observed that rodents often travel short distances below 40 m, but occasionally reach distances of up to 100 m, especially in earlier successional stages. Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that rodents may contribute to assembly processes of soil-dwelling oribatid communities given the slow turnover rate of this group in heathlands. This is accomplished through short-distance dispersal, and especially in sites at early stages of succession. To our knowledge, we are the first to quantitatively assess the potential dispersal of oribatid mites via rodents.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10619 - Biodiversity conservation

Project

—

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2022

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Ecology and Evolution

ISSN

2045-7758

e-ISSN

2045-7758

Volume of the periodical

12

Issue of the periodical within the volume

12

Country of publishing house

US - UNITED STATES

Number of pages

14

Pages from-to

e9653

UT code for WoS article

000904304600001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85145311288