Universität zu Köln

Dumack, Kenneth, Koller, Robert ORCID: 0000-0001-7251-7242, Weber, Bettina ORCID: 0000-0002-5453-3967 and Bonkowski, Michael ORCID: 0000-0003-2656-1183 (2016). Estimated abundance and diversity of heterotrophic protists in South African biocrusts. S. Afr. J. Sci., 112 (7-8). S. 56 - 61. LYNWOOD RIDGE: ACAD SCIENCE SOUTH AFRICA A S S AF. ISSN 1996-7489

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Abstract

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) occur widely in the uppermost millimeters of the soil in arid and semi-arid systems. Worldwide they cover large terrestrial areas and play a major role in the global terrestrial carbon and nitrogen cycles. However, knowledge of the microbial decomposer foodwebs within biocrusts is particularly scarce. Heterotrophic protists in soil are predominantly bacterivores, and because of their high biomass compared with other soil fauna and fast turnover rates, protists are considered an important factor for soil nutrient cycling and energy fluxes. Thus, knowledge of their biodiversity, abundance and functional roles is important to understand soil ecosystem functions. We investigated the diversity and abundance of heterotrophic soil protists in different types of biocrusts from the Succulent Karoo, South Africa. With an overall diversity of 23 distinct morphotypes, soil protist biodiversity was shown to be high. The most abundant groups were Spumella-like chrysomonads, gliding bodonids, glissomonads and heteroloboseans. Protist abundance was highly variable among samples. The abundance and diversity did not differ significantly among different types of biocrusts, indicating that microscale differences, but not macroscopic soil crust builders (e.g. cyanobacteria, lichens and bryophytes), have a major impact on the protist community.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Dumack, Kenneth UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Koller, Robert UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0001-7251-7242 UNSPECIFIED Weber, Bettina UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0002-5453-3967 UNSPECIFIED Bonkowski, Michael UNSPECIFIED orcid.org/0000-0003-2656-1183 UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-271776
DOI:	10.17159/sajs.2016/20150302
Journal or Publication Title:	S. Afr. J. Sci.
Volume:	112
Number:	7-8
Page Range:	S. 56 - 61
Date:	2016
Publisher:	ACAD SCIENCE SOUTH AFRICA A S S AF
Place of Publication:	LYNWOOD RIDGE
ISSN:	1996-7489
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language BIOLOGICAL SOIL CRUSTS; COMMUNITY STRUCTURE; DESERT; PROTOZOA; TEMPERATURE; BRYOPHYTES; NITROGEN; IMPACTS; LICHENS; CARBON Multiple languages Multidisciplinary Sciences Multiple languages
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/27177