Oribatid mite (Acari:Oribatida) assemblage response to changes in litter depth and habitat type in a beech-maple forest in southwestern Quebec

I investigated oribatid mite assemblages in a beech-maple forest in southwestern Quebec. I first examined the effects of four forest stand types (American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) dominated, Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) dominated, mixed deciduous and coniferous plantations) and three open site types (agricultural field, fallow pasture and unmanaged hay field) in structuring oribatid mite assemblages. My second study focused on the effects of changes in litter depth (a factor that varies by stand type) on the structure of oribatid assemblages.Stand type was shown to be an important factor in determining oribatid mite abundances, species richness and assemblage composition. Results from the second study confirm this, but revealed no effect of changes in litter depth on oribatid mite assemblages. These findings serve to demonstrate that while examining specific environmental factors as determinants of oribatid mite diversity and distribution is important, more general factors such as habitat type cannot be ignored