Abstract

Population and community studies dealing with radiation stress have essentially neglected the mites. When references have been made to the responses of mite populations to ionizing radiation, the form of radiation has almost always been gamma. This study reports results of naturally occurring populations of desert mites, at the Nevada Test Site, to ionizing radiation--largely beta. Eighteen species groups were identified from Berlese samples and tested for stress responses with species diversity indices and analyses of variations in predator-prey ratios. General agreement with previous studies showed a decreasing pattern in these two tests within the controls. This was interpreted as the normal seasonal pattern. The increase of these measurements, within the irradiated sites, was due to large fluctuations in the numbers of a few species groups.

Degree

College and Department

Life Sciences; Plant and Wildlife Sciences

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