On the Notion of Microrange of Soil Testaceans

Abstract

We studied species composition and population structure of testaceans (Protozoa: Testacea) in a series of soil microblock samples (weighing between 5 and 0.05 g) from podzol horizons L, F, A1A2, and A2 of cowberry-heath-lichen and gramineous-cowberry pine forests. Similarity between the testacean communities in the soil microblock samples from horizon A1A2 was at least 0.94 (by Morisita-Horn index of similarity, quantitative data), while in the enzymatic layer of litter it decreased to 0.34. The notion of microrange of soil-forming testaceans is proposed and discussed on the basis of the obtained and published data.