In vitro studies of the impact of the naked soil amoeba Thecamoeba similis Greef, feeding on phototrophic soil biofilms

Photoautotrophic microorganisms as a carbon source for temperate soil invertebrates

“…soil food web models [5] and C cycling studies [2] account for this route. Grazing by animals, in turn, probably controls soil photoautotrophic microbial communities [10]. Having dwelled on highly enriched microbial mats, in the absence of vascular plants, slugs did not assimilate CO 2 -derived C. Newly hatched D. reticulatum in particular could be expected to graze on algal mats, but the present findings confirm both life stages as herbivores of vascular plants [13].…”

Naked Amoebae in Biofilms Collected from a Temperate Freshwater Pond

“…Prior research on the algal grazing pressure of the large amoeba Thecamoeba similis (Jahnke et al. ) on a natural biofilm community consisting of trichomes of cyanobacteria, and several species of Chlorophyceae and Xanthophyceae indicated that 73% of the algal biomass without cyanobacteria was grazed after 50 d of growth, consistent with one of their experimental studies using laboratory‐grown algal films. Concurrently, however, in the natural biofilm, the amount of mucous Chlamydocapsa sp.…”

“…Amoebae must attach to surfaces to feed, and particulate‐rich aquatic environments are especially productive for amoeba community development (e.g., Anderson ; Jahnke et al. ), in some cases, exceeding the density of ciliates (Anderson ). However, there is very little research on the composition, diversity, and C‐biomass of naked amoebae in freshwater biofilms, although prior work has been published on marine biofilms (Rogerson ), and there is a substantial literature on other protozoa in “Aufwuchs” (natural surface biofilms) especially for ciliated protozoa (e.g., Schonborn ), ciliates and flagellates (Wey et al.…”

Differences in the cellular dry weight per unit biovolume of Phormidium autumnale (Cyanobacteria) dependent on growth conditions

“…Inc.) and high temperature (18°C), (2) low light intensity (67 µmol quanta m −2 s −1 ) and high temperature (18°C) and (3) low light in combination with low temperature (8°C). Fluorescent tubes (Philips TL 33 and 54 (1:1)) were used as a light source with a light/ dark cycle of 14/10 h. Further details of preparation and incubation are described in Jahnke et al (2007) and Mahlmann et al (2008).…”