Distribution and Abundance of Ciliates in a Green Roof Demonstration

Date of Award

2009

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Gilchrist, Sandra

Keywords

Microbe, Microorganism, Protozoa, Protist, Ciliate, Green Roof, Roof Garden, Soil

Area of Concentration

Biology

Abstract

Protozoa are an active part of the soil ecosystem. Their most recognized role in the soil is that of making nitrogen (N) more available to plants through feeding and excretory activities. Soil protozoology is a relatively new field and there are still many environments that have not been investigated. In this study I characterize protozoan populations in a green roof garden demonstration to see how the abundance and diversity of protozoa relates to changes in nitrogen, temperature, and plant growth over time. In addition to relating the populations of large ciliates to particular environmental factors, distribution in relation to spatial scale is analyzed. The five most common genera were chosen for analysis: Colpoda, Oxytricha, Spathidium, Litonotus, and Euplotes. I hypothesized that Colpoda would be the dominant genus and that total abundance patterns would vary over the plot due to differences in microconditions. The first part was verified, as Colpoda turned out to be one of the two dominant genera. Surprisingly, abundance patterns did not vary over the plot. This was attributed to conditions relevant to protozoan life, such as water content, being constant over the entire plot.

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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