The use of predatory soil mites in ecological soil classification and assessment concepts, with perspectives for oribatid mites

Gamasina are the main predators among the soil mesofauna and, therefore, have a crucial position in the soil food web and contribute significantly to energy and matter turnover. Ecological concepts including predatory mites in soil assessment have not yet been established, while standardized sampling, extraction, and conservation methods are available. There are reliable keys for Europe that cover most families. Few species in low dominance ranks correlate well with soil properties like soil texture and pH. Meaningful endpoints for soil assessment are community parameters that are based on the life history of the species (e.g., Maturity Index). It has been shown that the predatory mites, as well as the oribatids as a second common and widespread group of mites, fit well into a soil assessment concept comparable to RIVPACS, which was established for aquatic systems. Perspectives for future research are the development of a computer-aided identification key and the creation of a database with information on the ecology and biogeography of important species. (C) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.