Vertical Stratification and Habitat Preference of Limnoterrestrial Tardigrades in Myakka River State Park, FL; Including a List of Genera

Kelsey Wogan

Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Lowman, Margaret

Keywords

Tardigrade, Myakka, Habitat Preference, Vertical Stratification

Area of Concentration

Environmental Studies

Abstract

Habitat specificity was investigated at the microscopic level by examining the vertical stratification of limno-terrestrial microinvertebrates inhabiting the moss and lichen found on live oak (Quercus virginiana) trees in Myakka River State Park. Specific distribution of tardigrade amongst the microhabitats studied was used to determine whether or not certain habitats (defined here as moss or lichen) are indicative of the meiofauna found therein. Other micro invertebrates (rotifers and nematodes) were also counted, but only for the purpose of determining microinvertebrate community structure. To collect samples, ten live oak trees were selected within the boundaries of the park and samples of moss and lichen were taken from three stratified levels (ground, mid-level and canopy). Laboratory analysis included counting rotifers and nematodes, identifying tardigrades to genera and digitally photographing specimens with a microscope-mounted camera. Ten trees and sixty samples later, a total of 465 tardigrades, 563 rotifers, 1,312 nematodes and 11 mites were found. Data analysis using SAS revealed no statistically significant habitat preference or vertical stratification occurred and that the numbers of tardigrades, rotifers, nematodes and mites found were significantly affected by each other. The non-normal distribution of the data justified manipulation by natural logarithm, which indicated that there was a statistical difference between numbers of tardigrades on the ground and the numbers found at mid and canopy levels. After photographing each of the 465 slides collected using Motic Image Plus digital software, each organism preserved was identified to genus using Tardigrades: Bears of the Moss (Miller, 1997) and total of 425 organisms representing 6 genera were catalogued: 220 Minibiotus; 134 Macrobiotus; 38 Milnesium; 23 Diphascon; 9 Hypsibius; and 1 Echiniscus.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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