Seasonal Succession of Ciliates in Lake Constance

We found a recurrent seasonal pattern in abundance and composition of planktonic ciliates in Lake Constance, FRG, over a three-year period. Abundance peaks occurred in early spring and summer/autumn, while ciliate numbers were low in late spring (clear-water phase) and winter. Prostomatida and Oligo...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Microbial ecology 1991-12, Vol.21 (2), p.119-138
Main Authors: MÜLLER, H, SCHÖNE, A, PINTO-COELHO, R. M, SCHWEIZER, A, WEISSE, T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Autoecology
Bacteria
Biological and medical sciences
Biomass
Ciliophora
Ecological succession
Food
Freshwater
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Grazing
Lakes
Phytoplankton
Plankton
Plants and fungi
Protozoa
Taxa
Zooplankton
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We found a recurrent seasonal pattern in abundance and composition of planktonic ciliates in Lake Constance, FRG, over a three-year period. Abundance peaks occurred in early spring and summer/autumn, while ciliate numbers were low in late spring (clear-water phase) and winter. Prostomatida and Oligotrichida dominated in early spring. They responded immediately to the phytoplankton spring bloom, while Haptorida, Peritrichida, and large Scuticociliatida (Histiobalantium) were delayed by 1 to 2 weeks. The spring community broke down at the onset of the clear-water phase. Pelagohalteria viridis containing symbiontic algae appeared shortly after this event. A highly diverse community was recorded in summer/autumn. Peritrichida, small Oligotrichida, and large Scuticociliatida reached their maxima during this season. Small Scuticociliatida were rare throughout the year and contributed moderately to total ciliate numbers only during the cold season. The observed seasonal sequence of pelagic ciliates in Lake Constance is discussed in relation to simultaneously collected data on potential food organisms and grazers.
ISSN:0095-3628
1432-184X
DOI:10.1007/BF02539148