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Testate amoebae colonizing a newly exposed land surface are of airborne origin

  • We hypothesized that at the very beginning of terrestrial ecosystem development, airborne testate amoebae play a pivotal role in facilitating organismic colonization and related soil processes. We, therefore, analyzed size and quantity of airborne testate amoebae and immigration and colonization success of airborne testate amoebae on a new land surface (experimental site “Chicken Creek”, artificial post-mining water catchment). Within an altogether 91-day exposure of 70 adhesive traps, 12 species of testate amoebae were identified to be of airborne origin. Phryganella acropodia (51% of all individuals found, diameter about 35–45 μm) and Centropyxis sphagnicola (23% of all individuals found, longest axis about 55–68 μm), occurred most frequently in the adhesive traps. We extrapolated an aerial amoeba deposition of 61 individuals d−1 m−2 (living and dead individuals combined). Although it would be necessary to have a longer sequence (some additional years), our analysis of the “target substrate” of aerial immigration (catchment site)We hypothesized that at the very beginning of terrestrial ecosystem development, airborne testate amoebae play a pivotal role in facilitating organismic colonization and related soil processes. We, therefore, analyzed size and quantity of airborne testate amoebae and immigration and colonization success of airborne testate amoebae on a new land surface (experimental site “Chicken Creek”, artificial post-mining water catchment). Within an altogether 91-day exposure of 70 adhesive traps, 12 species of testate amoebae were identified to be of airborne origin. Phryganella acropodia (51% of all individuals found, diameter about 35–45 μm) and Centropyxis sphagnicola (23% of all individuals found, longest axis about 55–68 μm), occurred most frequently in the adhesive traps. We extrapolated an aerial amoeba deposition of 61 individuals d−1 m−2 (living and dead individuals combined). Although it would be necessary to have a longer sequence (some additional years), our analysis of the “target substrate” of aerial immigration (catchment site) may point to a shift from a stochastic (variable) beginning of community assembly to a more deterministic (stable) course. This shift was assigned to an age of seven years of initial soil development. Although experienced specialists are necessary to conduct these time-consuming studies, the presented data suggest that terrestrial amoebae are suitable indicators for initial ecosystem development and utilization.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author: Manfred Wanner, Michael Elmer, Michael Sommer, Roger FunkORCiD, Daniel Puppe
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.07.037
ISSN:1470-160x
Title of the source (English):Ecological Indicators
Document Type:Scientific journal article peer-reviewed
Language:English
Year of publication:2015
Contributing Corporation:ZALF Müncheberg
Volume/Year:48
First Page:55
Last Page:62
Faculty/Chair:Zentrale Einrichtungen / Forschungszentrum Landschaftsentwicklung und Bergbaulandschaften (FZLB)
Fakultät 2 Umwelt und Naturwissenschaften / FG Ökologie
Institution name at the time of publication:Fakultät für Umweltwissenschaften und Verfahrenstechnik (eBTU) / LS Allgemeine Ökologie
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