mites as bioindicators

7/30/2019 Mites as Bioindicators

1/71

Mites (Mites (AcariAcari) as) as

bioindicatorsbioindicators

Anna SeniczakDepartment of Ecology

University of Technology and Life Sciences,

Bydgoszcz, Poland


2/71


3/71

Mites (Mites (AcariAcari) as) as

bioindicatorsbioindicators

Anna SeniczakDepartment of Ecology

University of Technology and Life Sciences,

Bydgoszcz, Poland


4/71

MitesMites??

Belong to arthropods and arachnids,

Body size 60 m - 30 mm (average 0,5 mm),

They are small but very many and very active!


5/71

MitesMites--common but stillcommon but stillnot well knownnot well known

Mites achieved a huge evolutionary success-

they are 2nd (after insects) with respect tospecies number.

So far more than 45 thousands species were

described, but the estimates are 1 milion.

(Walter and Proctor 1999).


6/71

MitesMites--common but stillcommon but stillnot well knownnot well known

We know more about the movement of celestial

bodies than about the soil underfoot.

(Leonardo Da Vinci, circa 1500s)


7/71

(Walter and Proctor)


8/71

MitesMites--common butcommon butstill not well knownstill not well known

They live in different environments.

E.g. on our skin occurDemodex

folliculorum (hair follicle) andDemodex

brevis (sweat gland).


9/71

(www.activasns.com)


10/71

(camelot.lfhk.cuni.cz)


11/71

MitesMites--friends orfriends orenemies?enemies?

Pests of plants (families Tetranychidae and

Eriophyidae).


12/71

(http://k43.pbase.com)


13/71

(http://www.bonsai-info.net)(http://www.bonsai-info.net)


14/71

(http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov)


15/71

(http://popgen.unimaas.nl)


16/71


17/71


Pests in storehouses (families Acaridae

and Glycyphagidae).


18/71

(http://www.hal-allergie.de)


19/71


Cause of allergies.


20/71


Sometimes 1specimen is enough to cause a

dramatic effect.


21/71


Mites in biological control.

- Chyletidae- predators of storehouse pests,

- Phytoseidae- predators of plant pests,

- Species from genus Pyemotes are predators of

bark beetles.


22/71


Mites are used in production of cheese.


23/71

Tyrolichus casei Oudemans, 1910 (http://www.sel.barc.usda.gov)


24/71

Monument ofcheese mite in

Wrchwitz (Sachsen- Anhalt) (Germany)

from Carraramarble.

(Alberti 2004)


25/71


Soil mites participate in decomposition of

organic matter.


26/71

MMossossmitesmites--treasuretreasurehidden in soilhidden in soil

Decomposition of organic matter is 5 times

faster when microorganisms and mitescooperate, comparing to microorganismsactivity only- so called a sleeping beauty

paradox.

(Walter and Proctor 1999)


27/71


Mites as bioindicators- to evaluate the

effect of human influence on the

environment.


28/71

Human impact onHuman impact onecosystemsecosystems

Air, soil, water pollution, intensive agriculture,

fires, clearance of wood in forest, soil trading,

etc.

(Marshall et al. 1987)


29/71


In forest soil their density is several hundred

thousands (up to 1 million) per 1 m,

represented by over 100 species.

(Skubaa 2002)


30/71


In many land environments the biomass of

moss mites is higher than the biomass of birds

and mammals, and their net production is 2

times higher than of rodents and 6 times higher

than of birds, living on the same territory...

(Krivolutskij 1976)


31/71

(S. Seniczak)


32/71


33/71

(S. Seniczak)


34/71

(S. Seniczak)


35/71

(S. Seniczak)


36/71

Limnozetes ciliatus (Schrank, 1803)


37/71

Limnozetes rugosus (Sellnick, 1923)


38/71

Features of a goodFeatures of a goodbioindicatorbioindicator??

Common,

Numerous,

Important in ecosystems,

Connected to its environment,

Easy to cultivate in laboratory,Quickly developing.


39/71

Soil invertebrates inSoil invertebrates inbioindicationbioindication

Majority of research has been carried out on:

earthworms,

springtails,

isopods,

potworms.

(Walker et al. 2002, Lock and Janssen 2002)


40/71

Relative densityRelative density higher than 5g/cmhigher than 5g/cm33,, Atomic weightAtomic weight greater than Na (22.99),greater than Na (22.99),

classification based on theclassification based on the chemical propertieschemical properties -

class A, metals which bind to oxygen (Ca, Mg, Mn,K, Sr, Na),

- class B, metals bind to nitrogen or sulphur (Cd, Cu,

Hg, Ag),- class C, with both properties (Zn, Pb, Fe, Cr, Co,Ni).

(Nieboer & Richardsson 1980)

What are heavy metals?What are heavy metals?


41/71

What are heavy metals?What are heavy metals?

Metals can be also classified according to their

importance for the organisms as:

essential, non essential.


42/71

Mites and heavy mitesMites and heavy mites

The literature on the effect of heavy

metals on mites is rather poor, in

comparison to other soil invertebrates.


43/71

Effect of metals on mitesin the field conditions

First studies - on the spoil heaps of mine, Great

Britain.

Effect ofPb on abundance of important groups

of soil invertebrates was compared.

(Williamson and Evans 1973)


44/71


Even very high concentrations of Pb (19 000

mg/kg) did not affect the total density of mites.

But we do not know how reacted different

groups of mites!

(Williamson and Evans 1973)


45/71


A study near zinc smelter (Palmerton, USA)

showed that oribatid mites were the most

sensitive invertebrates to heavy metals.

(Strojan 1978)


46/71


Close to zinc smelter (26 000 mgZn/kg, 900

mgCd/kg, 2 300 mgPb/kg) their density was 15

times lower than in the control plot;

Oribatid mites can be a sensitive indicator of

heavy metals!

(Strojan 1978)


47/71


In Poland mites were studied near coppersmelting works in Gogw:

high concentrations of metals (2500 mg Cu/kgand 1500 mg Pb/kg) reduced total density ofmites,

small concentrations (200 mg/kg) werefavourable to mites, their density was higherthan in the control plot.

(Seniczak et al. 1996)


48/71


Species number on polluted plots (1- most polluted) andcontrol.


0

5

10

15

20

25

30

3540

45

1 2 3 Control

Oribatida

Gamasida


49/71


Analyses on the species level showed that both,

among Oribatida and Gamasida, there were

species:1) sensitive to metals,

2) tolerant of metals,

3) sensitive to high concentrations but tolerant of

small concentrations of metals.



50/71


The bioindicative reaction of mites should

be considered on the species level!



51/71

Pb

ZnCd

Cu

??

Help!!!

After field studies we are


52/71

After field studies we are

not sure:

Which metal (substance) was most harmful? Any interactions between metals (or with

other substances) ?

Influence of other abiotic factors (e.g. pH,temperature, humidity)?

How metals affect the populations?


53/71

Laboratory studiesLaboratory studies

Effect ofPb and Cd was tested on:Nothrus

silvestris andRhysotritia duplicata,

Adult mites were tolerant of very high

concentrations of metals (10 000 gPb/g, 1000

gCd/g)!

(Ludwig i in.1991)


54/71

Laboratory studiesLaboratory studiesThe effect of metals on survival,

fertility and development of

juveniles was studied on:

-Platynothrus peltifer

- Archegozetes longisetosus.(http://www.cbif.gc.ca)

(Denneman and Van Straalen 1991, Seniczak et al. 2000)


55/71


Small doses of metals increased fertility ofmites.


56/71


Too high concentrations of metals:

- decreased fertility;

- increased mortality of juvenile stages;- prolonged the time of development;

- caused morphological changes.

(Denneman and Van Straalen 1991, Seniczak et al. 2000)


57/71

A.A. longisetosuslongisetosus --protonprotonymphymph

ControlControl Pb

Lowest observable effect


58/71

owest obse vable effect

concentration (LOEC)

0

500

1000

1500ppm

Cu Pb Cd

A. longisetosus P. peltifer


59/71


Pergalumna was moresensitive to Cu than otherOribatida (LOEC- 300

g/g), but less to Pb. Accumulation factor for

Cu (organism:food) is

12:1; for Pb 1:1.


60/71


61/71

Accumulation of heavy metals Oribatida are among the invertebrates

accumulating the highest amounts of heavy

metals.

(Roth 1993, Van Straalen et al. 2001)


62/71

Accumulation of heavy metals

(ZaitsevZaitsev andand Van Straalen 2001)Van Straalen 2001)

0

200

400600

800

1000

1200

Zn Pb

ppm Xenillus

tegeocranusPhthiracarusnitens

Suctobelbella

acutidensTectocepheusvelatus

Platynothruspeltifer

soil


63/71

Uptake of metals Food

Through the cuticle (?)

Detoxification of metals


64/71

f f

(Dallinger 1993)

Granules in ventriculus of


65/71

f

Archegozetes longisetosusArchegozetes longisetosus

Analyse of granules


66/71

y f g


67/71

Excretion of heavy metals

Excretion to the lumen of digestive system. Accumulation of heavy metals in the cuticle

and getting rid of them during moulting (?)

(Ludwig et al.1991, 1993, Kratzmann et al. 1993)


68/71

Summary Heavy metals reduce the density and

species diversity of mites;

Adults can tolerate very high concentrations

of metals; Metals reduce the fertility and are harmful

to juveniles.


69/71


70/71

Summary The mechanisms that enable some species

to survive in the contaminated environmentare not clear and require further studying.


71/71

MuchasMuchas

gracias!gracias!!!

mites as bioindicators

Documents