Moss-dwelling testate amoebae and their community in Dajiuhu peatland of Shennongjia Mountains, China

Abstract

Testate amoebae from a large fen peatland of China were investigated in August 2009. Thirty-six testate amoebae species belonging to 16 genera and one rotifer were identified. Three relatively drier indicator species, Assulina muscorum, Assulina seminulum, and Trinema-corythion type, were the dominate species, comprising 54% of total amoebae shells. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS) ordination divided the testate amoebae assemblages into two groups – a drier group including A. muscorum, A. seminulum, Euglypha rotunda type, Trinema-corythion type, and Plagiopyxis callida and a wetter group including Centropysis cassis, Cyphoderia ampulla, Difflugia oblonga, Difflugia lanceolata, Euglypha strigosa type, Nebela galeata, Nebela lageniformis, and Quadruella symmetrica. Pearson correlations showed that most testate amoebae species between the two groups are negatively correlated, reflecting the possible influence of a moisture gradient. However, the ubiquitous distributions of other testate amoebae in the two-dimensional NMS ordination map suggested that factors other than moisture are also influencing the testate amoebae community in the fen.