Soils and their biota have been studied by a variety of observational and experimental methods that have allowed biologists to infer their structural and functional interactions. Viewing progress made over the last 10 years, it is apparent that an increasing diversity of analytical and chemical methods are providing much more detailed information about feeding preferences and niche overlaps of ...

This paper reports on two species of mites of the genus Cosmolaelaps Berlese, 1903 in Iran--C. dorfakiensis sp. nov., and C. pinnatus sp. nov., extracted from soil and leaf litter samples in Guilan Province, Northern Iran. A key to the species of Cosmolaelaps occurring in the Iran is also provided.

Two species of rhodacarid mites, Multidentorhodacarus aegypticus n. sp. and Protogamasellopsis zaheri n. sp., are de- scribed from adult females and males collected from soil and litter in Egypt. A key to identify the species of Rhodacaridae reported from the Mediterranean region is provided.

objective: in soil habitats, mesostigmatic mites (acari: mesostigmata) are among the most important predators of smallarthropods and nematodes. methods: a study was carried out during 2009-2010 to identify theirfauna in khorramabad county, western iran. soil samples were taken from different regions. mites were extracted by berlese-tullgren funnel and cleared in nesbit fluid. microscopic slides...

Sewage sludge applied to agricultural soils often contains considerable amounts of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS). Toxic effects of LAS on soil organisms should, therefore. be evaluated to ensure safe use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer. In this study, dose-response relationships for the toxicity of Na-LAS to six species of soil invertebrates (survival, reproduction, and growth) were est...

This paper reports on five species of mites of the genus Gymnolaelaps associated with ants and soil in Iran--G. artavilensis sp. nov. from Pheidole pallidula, G. laevis (Michael) and G. myrmecophilus (Berlese) from Tetramorium caespitum, G. myrmophila (Michael) from Formica sp., and G obscuroides Costa from soil. Gymnolaelaps australicus Womersley and G. hospes (Berlese) have also been reported...

BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown that plants often have species-specific effects on soil properties. In high elevation forests in the Southern Rocky Mountains, North America, areas that are dominated by a single tree species are often adjacent to areas dominated by another tree species. Here, we assessed soil properties beneath adjacent stands of trembling aspen, lodgepole pine, and Engel...

Soil mesofauna plays an important role in decomposing organic matter, recycling nutrients, and increasing nutrient availability. The effects of nitrogen (N) deposition reduced precipitation on the litter-dwelling mesofaunal community how this process affects litter decomposition remain poorly understood. Herein, a two-year simulated N throughfall reduction experiment was carried out natural eve...

edaphic mites of the order mesostigmata have important effects in soil ecosystems and food chains.in order to study the fauna of laelapidae (mesostigmata), soil samples were collected from different parts of shahreza vicinity in esfahan province, iran, during 2010-2012. among collected species a new species of gaeolaelaps has been collected from soil and litter and described based on adult fema...