Oribatid Mites as Inhabitants of Lichens in the Taiga Zone of Northeastern Europe: Biotopic Association and Ecological Groups of Species

The ground (Cladina arbuscula, C. rangiferina, C. stellaris, Cetraria islandica) and epiphytic (Hypogymnia physodesandBryoria subcana) lichens in taiga forests of the European Northeast were examined as habitats of oribatid mites. In total, in different species of lichens, 55 species of oribatids from 30 families were found. Five ecological groups of oribatid mites as inhabitants of lichens were identified. It was found that the specificity of the oribatid mite population in epiphytic lichens consisted of dominant arboricolic species also not numerous arboricolic species. Dominant hemiedaphic species and not numerous hemiedaphic species were characteristic of ground lichens. The arboricolic-hemiedaphic group includes species that live in both ground and epiphytic lichens. The ecologically vicariating species in relation to epiphytes were identified; these are species of the generaCarabodes, Mycobates, Oribatula, and Phauloppia.