Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Community Assembly of Terrestrial Testate Amoebae: How is the Very First Beginning Characterized?

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Microbial Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Testate amoebae play an important role at the very first beginning of succession on land. We used litterbags buried into four different soils to study the early colonization (which occurred within less than 55 days) and establishment of testate amoebae. The litterbag cellulose exposed at the youngest mining site poor in nitrogen and phosphorus was colonized firstly in high abundances, whereas the substrate introduced into the reference sites of undisturbed soil was colonized slowly and in low densities. Besides the (expected) small-sized r-strategists (e.g., Euglypha rotunda, Tracheleuglypha dentata, and Trinema lineare), large-sized K-strategists (e.g., Centropyxis spp., Phryganella acropodia) occurred in remarkably high densities on all sites. Species that colonized the cellulose in high densities (e.g., P. acropodia and T. dentata) were found extremely rarely in the adjacent source substrate and vice versa, stressing the importance of the target substrate quality. In the course of the experiment, the influencing environmental factors became more complex, as shown by redundancy analysis (RDA). Concerning the amoebal community, there was a change from variability to stability, as visualized by cluster analysis. Adjacent litterbags within an investigation site revealed amoebal species and abundances with an increasing similarity during exposition time, whereas the litterbags between the four investigation sites were colonized differently. These observations point to a stochastic (variable) beginning of community assembly, changing to a more deterministic (stable) course. No species replacement has been observed, which is an essential part of most successional theories. Thus, the more flexible concept of “community assembly” should be considered instead of “succession” for protozoa. The stochastic beginning of community assembly and the lack of species replacement are explained by a neutral community model.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Alef K (1991) Methodenhandbuch Bodenmikrobiologie. Ecomed, Landsberg

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bamforth SS (1997) Evolutionary implications of soil protozoan succession. Rev Soc Mex Hist Nat 47:93–97

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bell G (2001) Neutral macroecology. Science 293:2413–2418

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Berg MP, Hemerik L (2004) Secondary succession of terrestrial isopod, centipede, and millipede communities in grasslands under restoration. Biol Fertil Soils 40:163–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Bonkowski M (2004) Protozoa and plant growth: the microbial loop in soil revisited. New Phytol 162:617–631

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Booth BD, Murphy SD, Swanton CJ (2003) Weed ecology in natural and agricultural systems. CAB International, Wallingford

    Google Scholar 

  7. Burkovskii IV, Mazei YA (2001) A study of ciliate colonization of unpopulated substrates of an estuary in the White Sea. Oceanology 41:845–852

    Google Scholar 

  8. Coûteaux M-M (1985) Relationships between testate amoebae and fungi in humus microcosms. Soil Biol Biochem 17:339–345

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Coûteaux M-M, Dévaux J (1983) Effet d’un enrichissement en champignons sur la dynamique d’un peuplement thécamoebien d’un humus. Rev Ecol Biol Sol 20:519–545

    Google Scholar 

  10. Davis SR, Wilkinson DM (2004) The conservation management value of testate amoebae as ‘restoration’ indicators: speculations based on two damaged raised mires in Northwest England. The Holocene 14:135–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Darbyshire JF (ed) (1994) Soil protozoa. CAB International, Wallingford

  12. Dunger W, Fiedler HJ (1997) Methoden der Bodenbiologie. Gustav Fischer, Jena

    Google Scholar 

  13. Dunger W, Wanner M, Hauser H, Hohberg K, Schulz H-J, Schwalbe T, Seifert B, Vogel J, Voigtländer K, Zimdars B, Zulka KP (2001) Development of soil fauna at mine sites during 46 years after afforestation. Pedobiologia 45:243–271

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Fargione J, Brown CS, Tilman D (2003) Community assembly and invasion: an experimental test of neutral versus niche processes. PNAS 100:8916–8920

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Foissner W (1987) Soil protozoa: fundamental problems, ecological significance, adaptations in ciliates and testaceans, bioindicators, and guide to the literature. Progr Protistol 2:69–212

    Google Scholar 

  16. Foissner W (1999) Soil protozoa as bioindicators: pros and cons, methods, diversity, representative examples. Agric Ecosyst Environ 74:95–112

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Foissner W (2004) Protozoa. In: Hillel D, Rosenzweig C, Powlson DS, Scow KM, Singer MJ, Sparks DL, Hatfield J (eds) Encyclopaedia of soils in the environment, vol. 3. Elsevier, Oxford, UK, pp 336–347

    Google Scholar 

  18. Frouz J, Nováková A (2005) Development of soil microbial properties in topsoil layer during spontaneous succession in heaps after brown coal mining in relation to humus microstructure development. Geoderma 129:54–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Hodkinson ID, Webb NR, Coulson SJ (2002) Primary community assembly on land—the missing stages: why are the heterotrophic organisms always there first? J. Ecol 90:569–577

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Hodkinson ID, Coulson SJ, Webb NR (2004) Invertebrate community assembly along proglacial chronosequences in the high Arctic. J Anim Ecol 73:556–568

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Holyoak M, Loreau M (2006) Reconciling empirical ecology with neutral community models. Ecology 87:1370–1377

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Houle G (1997) No evidence for interspecific interactions between plants in the first stage of succession on coastal dunes in subarctic Quebec, Canada. Can J Bot 75:902–915

    Google Scholar 

  23. Hubbell SP (2001) The unified neutral theory of biodiversity and biogeography. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  24. Lawton JH (1987) Are there assembly rules for successional communities? In: Gray AJ, Crawley MJ, Edwards PJ (eds) Colonization, succession and stability. Blackwell, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  25. Ledeganck P, Nijs I, Beyens L (2003) Plant functional group diversity promotes soil protist diversity. Protist 154:239–249

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Lepš J, Šmilauer P (2005) Multivariate analysis of ecological data. České Budĕjovice, pp. 1–242 (course textbook, unpubl.)

  27. Lousier JD (1982) Colonization of decomposing deciduous leaf litter by testacea (Protozoa, Rhizopoda): species succession, abundance, and biomass. Oecologia 52:381–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Meisterfeld R (1997) Thekamöben-ihr Potential für Ökosystemforschung und Bioindikation. Abh Ber Naturkundemus Görlitz 69:87–95

    Google Scholar 

  29. Meisterfeld R (2002) Order Arcellinida Kent, 1880. In: Lee JJ, Leedale GF, Bradbury P (eds) An illustrated guide to the protozoa, 2nd edn. Society of Protozoologists, Lawrence, pp 827–860

    Google Scholar 

  30. Mitchell EAD, Borcard D, Buttler AJ, Grosvernier P, Gilbert D, Gobat J-M (2000) Horizontal distribution patterns of testate amoebae (Protozoa) in a Sphagnum magellanicum carpet. Microb Ecol 39:290–300

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Mitchell EAD, Gilbert D, Buttler A, Amblard C, Grosvernier P, Gobat J-M (2003) Structure of microbial communities in Sphagnum peatlands and effect of atmospheric carbon dioxide enrichment. Microb Ecol 46:187–199

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Mitchell EAD, Bragazza L, Gerdol R (2004) Testate amoebae (Protista) communities in Hylocomium splendens (Hedw.) B.S.G. (Bryophyta): Relationships with altitude, and moss elemental chemistry. Protist 155:423–436

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Ogden CG, Pitta P (1990) Biology and ultrastructure of the mycophagus, soil testate amoeba, Phryganella acropodia (Rhizopoda, Protozoa). Biol Fertil Soils 9:101–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Scheu S, Schulz E (1996) Secondary succession, soil formation and development of a diverse community of oribatids and saprophagous soil macro-invertebrates. Biod Conserv 5:235–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Schröter D, Wolters V, De Ruiter PC (2003) C and N mineralisation in the decomposer food webs of a European forest transect. Oikos 102:294–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Timonen S, Christensen S, Ekelund F (2004) Distribution of protozoa in Scots Pine mycorrhizospheres. Soil Biol Biochem 36:1087–1093

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Wanner M, Dunger W (1999) Immigration and primary succession of protists (testate amoebae) on recultivated lignite mine spoils in Eastern Germany. Verh Ges Ökol 29:321–327

    Google Scholar 

  38. Wanner M, Dunger W (2001) Biological activity of soils from reclaimed open-cast coal mining areas in Upper Lusatia using testate amoebae (protists) as indicators. Ecol Eng 17:323–330

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Wanner M, Dunger W (2002) Primary immigration and succession of soil organisms on reclaimed opencast coal mining areas in eastern Germany. Eur J Soil Biol 38:137–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Wanner M, Xylander WER (2003) Transient fires useful for habitat-management do not affect soil microfauna (testate amoebae)—a study on an active military training area in eastern Germany. Ecol Eng 20:113–119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Wanner M, Xylander WER (2005) Biodiversity development of terrestrial testate amoebae: is there any succession at all? Biol Fertil Soils 41:428–438

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Wodarz D, Aescht E, Foissner W (1992) A weighted coenotic index (WCI): description and application to soil animal assemblages. Biol Fertil Soils 14:5–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Young TP, Chase JM, Huddleston RT (2001) Community succession and assembly. Comparing, contrasting and combining paradigms in the context of ecological restoration. Ecological Restoration 19:5–18

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Science and Education (BMBF, Project no. 01LC0018A; the responsibility for the content of this publication is taken by the authors).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Museum for Natural History Goerlitz, P.O.B. 300154, 02806, Goerlitz, Germany

    Manfred Wanner & Willi E. R. Xylander

  2. BTU Cottbus, Chair of Soil Protection and Recultivation, P.O.B. 101344, 03013, Cottbus, Germany

    Michael Elmer

  3. Department of Systematic Botany and Ecology (Biology V), University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany

    Marian Kazda

Authors
  1. Manfred Wanner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael Elmer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Marian Kazda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Willi E. R. Xylander
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Manfred Wanner.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wanner, M., Elmer, M., Kazda, M. et al. Community Assembly of Terrestrial Testate Amoebae: How is the Very First Beginning Characterized?. Microb Ecol 56, 43–54 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-007-9322-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-007-9322-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation