1- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ramin Agriculture and Natural Resource University, Khuzestan, Iran.
2- Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahwaz, Khuzestan, Iran.
Abstract: (6438 Views)
Two different microhabitats (cropped fields versus established date-palm farms) in two different cities in Khuzestan Province, Southwestern Iran, were sampled monthly during 2011-2012 in order to assess the role of anthropic uses of soil on the biodiversity of oribatid mites. A total of 17 species of oribatid mites belonging to 10 families and 15 genera were identified (nine species were collected from the fields and 17 species were collected from date-palm farms). Among the collected species, Scheloribates fimbriatus with 22% relative abundance and Acrotritia ardua with 19% were dominant species. The Shannon index of species diversity and equitability was used to analyze data. Species diversity of oribatid mites and equitability were significantly greater in the date-palm farms than in the cropped fields. Time of year had no significant effect on biodiversity.
Received: 2014/01/3 | Accepted: 2014/02/25 | Published: 2014/12/1