Relative contributions of disparate animal vectors to the development of freshwater ciliate communities

Beta diversity of freshwater algal communities: influence of different dispersal mechanisms

“…In this experiment, there was a decrease in species richness towards the end, which may have been caused by high predation rates by ciliates and zooplankton. Cochak et al (2021) reported a high density of these predators on day 19 of the same experiment, which supports our assumption. This idea is further supported by studies conducted in other aquatic environments, where ciliates and zooplankton selectively suppressed a signi cant portion of the algal biomass (Sommer et al 2006;Posch et al 2015;Drira et al 2018).…”

“…Studies have shown that amphibians are important dispersal vectors for freshwater invertebrates (Lopez et al 2005;Vanschoenwinkel et al 2008a;Cochak et al 2021). This e cient transport capacity was also demonstrated in other studies that investigated the dispersal of various communities of microorganisms by other species of the genus Scinax (Júnior et al 2019;Araújo et al 2020).…”

“…(Bilton et Vuori et al 2022). Although hydrological connectivity has an important role in passive dispersal (Godhe et al 2016), animal-mediated dispersal represents an e cient means of transporting freshwater aquatic organisms (Cochak et al 2021). Small aquatic organisms can attach to animals that frequently visit the aquatic environment to meet their daily needs, such as feeding, drinking, and reproduction (Kristiansen 1996;Figuerola and Green 2002;Cochak et al 2021).…”

“…Although hydrological connectivity has an important role in passive dispersal (Godhe et al 2016), animal-mediated dispersal represents an e cient means of transporting freshwater aquatic organisms (Cochak et al 2021). Small aquatic organisms can attach to animals that frequently visit the aquatic environment to meet their daily needs, such as feeding, drinking, and reproduction (Kristiansen 1996;Figuerola and Green 2002;Cochak et al 2021). In this way, small passively dispersed organisms can be transported to remote areas that have little or no hydrological connectivity (Kelly et Therefore, dispersal success may vary depending on the habitat.…”

“…This e cient transport capacity was also demonstrated in other studies that investigated the dispersal of various communities of microorganisms by other species of the genus Scinax (Júnior et al 2019;Araújo et al 2020). Likewise, Studies have reported the importance of Odonata as dispersers of microorganisms (Maguire 1963;Revill et al 1967;Cochak et al 2021). Odonates have several anatomical features that facilitate algal dispersal, such as depressions, cavities, bristles, and claws that provide suitable sites for capturing propagules and transporting them to the surrounding aquatic environment.…”