Ecological Characteristics of Mushroom Mite Assemblages in Temperate Deciduous Forests

Ecological characteristics of mushroom mite assemblages in temperate deciduous forests

Dead wood is a resource for many organisms

Kimiko Okabe, Motohiro Hasegawa, Tsutomu Hattori, Hiroshi Tanaka & Shun’ichi Makino(FFPRI) Objectives of this study To determine: 1. Effects of habitat diversity (mushroom richness) for inhabitants (mites), 2. Importance of habitat connectivity for mites, To address the question: 3. Can dead wood be an indicator of forest biodiversity, especially for fungi and associated animal communities?

Background data 35 30 25 20 15 plantations 10 secondary&natural Species numbers 5 0 0 50 100 150 200 Stand age (years after clear-cut) Hattori et al （unpublished） Materials and Methods : study sites

Ogawa Forest Reserve & research sites

5km

Fig. 2.A Monitoring mosaic sites andlandscape their ages. The 128of yrplantation, old plot is a part of OFRgawa Research Forest secondary, and primary forests Materials and Methods : mushroom mite sampling

Long-last fruiting bodies e.g. bracket fungi

Ephemeral fruiting bodies

•Line census & sampling of mushrooms on 10x100 m plots in 7 different stands in 2003 & an old growth forest in 2001-04 between April and November. •Hand sorting of mites from samples. Materials and Methods : soil mite sampling

８ｍ

125ml 5cm

８ｍ Quadrate sampling of soil in 7 stands and mite sampling from each soil sample to compare with mushroom samples. Results: mushroom and mite species richness

600

500 precipitation

400

300 mite

50 200 Mushroom

100

0 40

20 Species numbers

0 May Nov Apr Nov Apr Nov Apr Nov 2001 2002 2003 2004

Sampling time Mite species richness was correlated with mushroom diversity per sampling in the old growth forest (GLM, P = 0.0198). Mushrooms=150spp, mites=124spp. Results: mushroom and mite species richness Correlation between mushrooms and mites in deciduous forests 広葉樹二次林のきのことダニの種数 Y=0.44x+4.2 R2=0.871 40 FR128

30 Y54

20 SarS71 Sad4

YT12 10 Mite species numbers Mite species

Sak24 0 SakC1

020406080100 Mushroom species numbers Results: species richness or certain species

More mite species

There was no correlation between mushroom size and mite species richness (GLM, P =0.0629). More mite species were collected from fungi with long-last fruiting bodies (e.g. bracket fungi) than from those with ephemeral (e.g. agaricales fungi) (Χ2 test, P < 0.00; long-last=333samples, ephemeral=268samples) .

Therefore, dead wood is important resources to maintain organisms such as mushroom mites and can be used as a surrogate indicator. Results: structure of mushroom mite community

fungivore Saprophagy 35.2% Predator parasite unknown 19.7% Oribatid exc. Astig 28.6% Astigmata 25.7%

Prostigmata (& Endeostigmata) 1.43% 7.04% 7.14% Mesostigmata 37.1% (all mites in 7 stands) 38%

1. Most mites on mushrooms are decomposers of fruiting bodies (fungivores & saprophagy) and maybe dispersers of mushroom spores.

2. There are natural enemies of arthropods and nematodes inhabiting mushrooms. Results: how mites reached mushrooms 3.8% 35.2%

32.2% 19.7% Oribatid exc. Astig Astigmata 43%

Prostigmata & Endeostigmata 7.04% Mesostigmata

(all mites in 7 stands) Mushroom mites Soil mites 21% 38%

Astigmata

31027 34 9 １１2

1. Only a half of mushroom mites might come to fruiting bodies from soil. 2. Astigmatids demonstrated different species composition between soil and mushrooms. Results: how mites reached mushrooms phoretic Mite dispersal non-phoretic ・phoresy ・air 49.3% ・walking ・others

50.7% 1) Our other study (e.g. Sueyoshi and Okabe 2007) showed flies and beetles were important vectors for mushroom mites. 2) For mites, beetles are good phoretic hosts, prob. because of their dispersal ability. 3) Beetles prefer bracket fungi to ephemeral fruiting bodies. These suggest a part of mite community depends on insects associated with mushrooms and dead wood. Conclusions 1. Mites function as decomposers of fruiting bodies, may be spore dispersers, and natural enemies of mushroom inhabitants (e.g., some flies, bacteria, and nematodes).

2. Mushrooms on dead wood, particularly bracket fungi contribute to total mite species richness.

3. Probably, insects inhabiting dead wood are important dispersal agents of mushroom mites.

4. Therefore, dead wood can be a surrogate indicator but to use them as an indicator, ecological roles of dead wood should be better clarified (e.g., dead wood age and mushroom succession, functions of mushroom inhabitants, animal and fungal communities on dead wood…).