THE INFLUENCE OF LIMESTONE MINING FROM MATEIAŞU MOUNTAIN (SOUTH ROMANIAN CARPATHIANS) ON EDAPHIC MEZOFAUNA.

Our data emphasize the fact that calcareous powder on the soil, coming from Mateiasu limestone mining, influences Collembola and Acarina fauna from the polluted soils, reducing their individual number. Thus, the differences between numerical densities of Collembola from polluted areas, by comparison with unpolluted soils, were, in all cases, significant, with a "d" value > 3.291, which justifies null hypothesis resignation, with a probability "p" = 0.001. In the case of Acarina, between beech areas (unpolluted and polluted ones), the difference was significant, with a value "d" > 2.576 and a probability "p" = 0.01. In the case of pine and meadow areas, "d" value > 3.291 and probability "p" = 0.001, which also justifies the resignation of null hypothesis. In the condition of working with the same technics for sample prelevation, in the condition of comparing these densities of pairs of arias with the same type of vegetation, the explanation of existing significant differences between the numerical densities of Collembola and Acarina remains the influence of pollution of soils with calcareous powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]