Assessing the ecological value of small testate amoebae (<45?μm) in New Zealand peatlands |
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| Institution: | 1. Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, 54 Gerald Street, 7608 Lincoln, New Zealand;2. School of Environment, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, 1142 Auckland, New Zealand;3. Laboratory of Soil Biodiversity, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland;4. Jardin Botanique de Neuchâtel, Chemin du Perthuis-du-Sault 58, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland;1. Laboratory of Soil Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland;2. Department of Biogeography and Palaeoecology, Faculty of Geosciences, Adam Mickiewicz University, Dzi?gielowa 27, 61-680 Poznań, Poland;3. Biological and Environmental Science, University of Stirling, Stirling FK94LA, Scotland, UK;4. Department of Zoology and Ecology, Penza State University, Krasnaya str., 40, Penza 440026, Russia;1. ECRU, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, FI-00014, Finland;2. Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Finland;3. Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, UK;4. Department of Biology, University of Oulu, Finland;5. Department of Forest Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Finland;1. Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Department Ecology, 03013 Cottbus, Germany;2. Leibniz-Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V., Institute of Soil Landscape Research, 15374 Müncheberg, Germany;3. RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Biology II (Zoology), Worringerweg 3, 52056 Aachen, Germany;4. University of Potsdam, Institute of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 14476 Potsdam, Germany;1. Laboratoire Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 16 route de Gray, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France;2. Université de Lille, UMR LOG 8187 CNRS, ULCO Laboratoire d’Océanologie et Géosciences, Bâtiment SN5, 59655 Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France;3. Laboratoire THéMA, UMR 6049, CNRS, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 32 rue Mégevand, 25030 Besançon Cedex, France;1. Laboratory of Soil Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Rue Emile Argand 11, CH-2000, Neuchâtel, Switzerland;2. Laboratorio de Ecología Evolutiva y Filoinformática, Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Barrio Universitario s/n, Casilla 160-C, Concepción, Chile;3. Centro de Estudios en Biodiversidad (CEBCH), Magallanes 1979, Osorno, Chile;4. Botanical Garden of Neuchâtel, Chemin du Perthuis-du-Sault 58, CH-2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland;1. School of Natural and Built Environment, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, BT7 1NN, United Kingdom;2. Laboratory of Soil Biodiversity, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, 2000, Switzerland;3. Real Jardin Botánico de Madrid, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, E-28014, Spain;4. Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, 1113, Bulgaria;5. Department of Zoology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-090, Brazil;6. Botanical Garden of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, 2000, Switzerland |
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| Abstract: | Methodological advances are essential for robust ecological research. Quantitative reconstructions of environmental conditions using testate amoebae rely on sound taxonomy. While the taxonomy of large species is relatively well resolved, this is not the case for most small taxa (typically <45 μm long). In New Zealand, peatlands contain a diversity of both cosmopolitan and characteristic large southern endemic taxa, but also have a high abundance of small taxa. The latter are often lumped into morphotypes reducing their value as ecological indicators. In this study, we demonstrate how (a) lumping small taxa versus splitting them into unique types, and (b) including or excluding them from community analysis influenced their ecological inference. We assessed testate amoeba composition in six peat bogs from New Zealand, three that were moderately-to-highly impacted, and three that were non-impacted. Environmental variables were measured at each sampling site and the surface testate amoeba community patterns and community-environment relationships compared. We found a clear division between impacted and non-impacted sites. Several distinct small taxa were more strongly related to water-table depth and conductivity, while the larger taxa were more correlated to pH. These results show that improved taxonomic resolution of small taxa can provide more informed environmental assessment. |
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| Keywords: | Bogs Human impact New Zealand Taxonomy Testate amoebae Wetlands |
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