Changes of oribatid mites population in soils of Tazovskiy peninsula under conditions of atmospheric pollution

A study was made on the effect of atmospheric emissions from gas industry technological objects on the population of soil-inhabiting oribatid mites on the Tazovskiy peninsula (sub-zone of southern tundra) in West Siberia. It has been shown that the most important influence of atmospheric pollutants on oribatid mites community is observed on the qualitative level rather than on the quantitative one. Such quantitative parameter as the species richness practically does not change no matter what the atmotechnogenic pollutants level is. From 5 to 7 species are present in every studied biotope whatever is the level of contamination. At the same time another parameter - total abundance - even increases at high levels of contamination reaching 10-20 thousand individuals per m2 near the source of pollution and 2-4 thousand individuals per m2 far from it. Qualitatively the pollution level affects the ecological structure of oribatid mites population. At higher concentrations of atmotechnogenic pollutants near the objects of the gas producing complex the percentage of small species (well adapted to different stresses of the environment) is 83-89 % of all oribatid mites community...