title: Seasonal changes in Sphagnum peatland testate amoeba communities along a hydrological gradient.
abstract: Testate amoebae are an abundant and functionally important group of protists in peatlands, but little is known about the seasonal patterns of their communities. We investigated the relationships between testate amoeba diversity and community structure and water table depth and light conditions (shading vs. insolation) in a Sphagnum peatland in Northern Poland (Linje mire) in spring and summer 2010. We monitored the water table at five sites across the peatland and collected Sphagnum samples in lawn and hummock micro-sites around each piezometer, in spring (3 May) and mid-summer (6 August) 2010. Water table differed significantly between micro-sites and seasons (Kruskal-Wallis test, p=0.001). The community structure of testate amoebae differed significantly between spring and summer in both hummock and lawn micro-sites. We recorded a small, but significant drop in Shannon diversity, between spring and summer (1.76 vs. 1.72). Strongest correlations were found between testate amoeba communities and water table lowering and light conditions. The relative abundance of mixotrophic species Hyalosphenia papilio, Archerella flavum and of Euglypha ciliata was higher in the summer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biogeography and Paleoecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Dzięgielowa 27, 61-680 Poznań, Poland; Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Monitoring, Adam Mickiewicz University, Dzięgielowa 27, 61-680 Poznań, Poland. Electronic address: marcisz@amu.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Marcisz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Lukasz
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lamentowicz
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Monitoring, Adam Mickiewicz University, Dzięgielowa 27, 61-680 Poznań, Poland; Kujawsko - Pomorski Research Centre, Institute of Technology and Life Sciences in Falenty, Glinki 60, 85-174 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Słowińska
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Resources and Geohazards, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kopernika 19, 87-100 Torun, Poland; GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Section 5.2 - Climate Dynamics and Landscape Evolution, Telegrafenberg, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany.
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Słowiński
authors.affiliation: Department of Biogeography and Paleoecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Dzięgielowa 27, 61-680 Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Witold
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Muszak
authors.affiliation: Department of Biogeography and Paleoecology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Dzięgielowa 27, 61-680 Poznań, Poland; Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Monitoring, Adam Mickiewicz University, Dzięgielowa 27, 61-680 Poznań, Poland; Department of Meteorology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Piątkowska 94, 60-649 Poznan, Poland.
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lamentowicz
mesh_terms: D000656:Amoeba / Q000502:physiology*; D044822:Biodiversity; D017753:Ecosystem; D008027:Light; D011044:Poland; D011156:Population Density; D012621:Seasons; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water
keywords: Air temperature; Diversity; Growing season; Light conditions; Peatland hydrology; Seasonality