Diversity of soil oribatids in relation to altitude and edaphic factor

Oribatid mites or ¿moss mite¿ or cryptostigmatids are often found to appear as the largest abundant group of microarthropods in soil. High abundance, remarkable diversity and adaptability to various environments distinguish them from other equivalent groups of soil dwellers. Variability in the diversity of oribatid communities in relation to different environmental or edaphic factors has drawn attention of a number of workers throughout the world. Current book highlights the ecological variation of soil acarines with special emphasis on soil oribatid mite diversity in relation to altitudes and edaphic factors on the basis of a study conducted at different altitudes in the parts of Sikkim-Darjeeling Himalayas. The study revealed several interesting findings and reported several oribatid taxa hitherto not recorded in India.