RTG 2300 - Soil microarthropods (Oribatida, Acari) in current and future forest stands of Central Europe

Soil mites are among the most abundant soil microarthropods in forests. To understand forest management effects on soil oribatid mites, we sampled Oribatida from the soil of five forest types replicated at eight sites. Animals were sampled by using a soil corer (ø 5 cm) between November 2017 and January 2018. One soil core was taken in each of the 40 forest stands with the samples taken between trees of the same (pure stands) or different species (mixed stands). Forest stands include five forest types replicated at eight sites in Lower Saxony. Each site comprised three pure stands of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco.) as well as two beech-conifer mixtures (European beech/Douglas fir and European beech/Norway spruce). Samples were separated into litter and 0-5 and 5-10 cm soil depths. Soil mites were extracted using high-gradient heat extraction. Animals were collected in 50 % diethylene glycol and then transferred into 70 % ethanol. Oribatida mites were identified using the key of Weigmann (2006). Numbers of Oribatida mites in the three sample depths were summed up. The data record the abundance and community structure of oribatid mites in temperate forests in Central Europe.