l SCIENTIFIC PAPERS OF AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY OF POZNAN @2004 Wyd. AR Pozn. Forestry Vol. 7, 75-80, 2004 PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON MITES FROM FAMIL.IES NOTHRIDAE, CAMISIIDAE AND CARABODIDAE (ACARI, ORIBATIDA) IN EXPERIMENTAL PLO·TS OF· THE SIEMIANICE EXPERIMENTAL FOREST STATION Anna Wierzbicka*, Ziemowit Olszanowski** *Department of Forest" and Environment Protection The August Cieszkowski Agricultural University of Poznan **Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznan 1'he investIgations were conducted in experimental plots of 14 tree species in the Siernianice Experimental Forest Station (Poland, SW). A total of 597 mite speC- imens [roHl 12 species belonging to three families from order Oribatida were found. The most frequently shown species in the investigated plots were Camisi·a biurus, G. spinifer, Carabodes coriaceus, G. labyrinthicus, C. subarcticus, Heminothrus peltifer and Nothrus silvestris. The results indicate that individual plots were not inhabited in the same way by mites from selected genera from order Oribatida. This is art" incentive to continue re- search in that area in order to determine the preference mechanisms of litter of individual tree species in mites from order Oribatida. KEY WORDS: Acari, Oribatida, mites, Siemianice Experimental Forest Station Received: January, 2005 Correspondence: A. Wierzbicka, Department of Forest and Environment Protection, The August Cieszkowski Agricultural University of Poznan, Wojska Polskiego 71 C, 60-625 Poznan, Poland e-mail: wierzbaa@wp.pl