Environmental role of different‐aged pine and oak stands growing on post‐agricultural and forest lands in forming the Mesostigmata mites communities

Reclamation of agricultural soil and forest succession after afforestation proceeds slowly and at many levels. Therefore, the history of land use is recorded in the soil's physical, chemical and ecological parameters for many decades. This process depends on time and the form of afforestation, which primarily includes tree species. In our study, we analyzed differences in the physical and chemical characteristics of pine and oak stands on forest and post-agricultural land at 22, 42 and 62 y/o. Our study revealed that 14 of 24 examined parameters (litter pH, soil pH, litter thickness, soil organic matter, Corg, bulk density, C/N ratio, soil moisture, soil K, Mg and Mn content, N and Ca litter content, Mg litter content) differed significantly among examined habitats (land use, stand age and tree species). We calculated the abundance, species richness and diversity of the mite communities (Acari, Mesostigmata) for each habitat type. In total, 6730 mites were classified into 72 taxa (60 species, 11 genera and one taxon as family). The highest abundance was recorded in 42 y/o. oak stands on post-agricultural land, while the lowest is in 22 y/o. pine and oak stands on post-agricultural land. The highest species richness and diversity were recorded in the oldest oak stand on post-agricultural land. In contrast, the lowest diversity was recorded in the youngest oak and pine stands on post-agricultural land. Our results demonstrate that the negative impact of the agricultural history of land use weakens over time and provides a better understanding of land use history on the relations between the soil environment and soil fauna, including mesostigmatid mite assemblages.