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Vol. 51 No. 2, 2012
Distributions of Testate Amoebae and Ciliates in Different
Types of Peatlands and Their Contributions to the Nutrient Supply
Tomasz
Mieczan*
Department
of Hydrobiology, Univ. of Life Sciences, Dobrzańskiego 37, Lublin
20-262, Poland
Tomasz Mieczan (2012) The
influence of plant communities on the structure, abundance, and biomass
of testate amoebae and ciliates were investigated in bog and fens in
eastern Poland. Samples were collected in belts of Sphagnum, Phragmites, Carex, Utricularia, and Calliergonella. Sampling was done
on a monthly basis from Apr. to Nov. 2009. Comparisons of species
numbers, abundances, and biomass levels of testate amoebae and ciliates
between Sphagnum mosses did
not show statistically significant differences. In carbonate fens, the
average species numbers, abundances, and biomass levels of testate
amoebae and ciliates for Sphagnum,
Calliergonella, and Utricularia were higher than those
for Phragmites and Carex. Based on differences in
plant stem structure, 2 groups of habitats were distinguished. The 1st
group consisted of 2 vegetated zones with a sparse stem structure (Phragmites and Carex), while the 2nd group
consisted of plant species with a decidedly more-complicated structure (Sphagnum, Calliergonella, and Utricularia). The results
demonstrated that water table depth, pH, and concentrations of total
phosphorus and total organic carbon strongly regulated the taxonomic
composition and abundances of protozoa. Rates of excretion of
ammonia-nitrogen and phosphate-phosphorus proportionally decreased with
an increase in body weight. In experiments dominated by small protozoa,
excreted amounts were significantly higher than in experiments
dominated by higher taxa. Average net excretion rates per protozoon of
nitrogen ranged 1.0 × 10-5 - 3.72 × 10-5 µg/h and
of phosphorus ranged 6.5 × 10-6 - 1.2 × 10-5
µg/h.
Key words: Wetlands, Protozoa, Nitrogen,
Phosphorus, Excretion.
*Correspondence: Tel: 48-81-4610061 ext. 306. Fax:
48-81-4610061 ext. 304. E-mail:tomasz.mieczan@up.lublin.pl
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