Abstract
AbstractThe taxonomic composition of the ciliate assemblage and their taxon‐specific bacterial grazing rates in Lake Constance were investigated over the course of one year. Bacterial grazing rates were measured using natural fluorescently labelled bacteria (FLB) and compared to bacterial production. Small species such as Balanion planctonicum/Urotricha furcata and Rimostrombidium spp./Halteria sp. were the most numerous ciliates on the annual average. Larger ciliates such as Rimostrombidium lacustris and Limnostrombidium spp. contributed significantly to total ciliate biomass, but were relatively unimportant as bacterial grazers. Per capita ingestion rates ranged from 0–194 bacteria ciliate−1 h−1 and changed seasonally up to a hundredfold within a given taxon. Approximately 1% of the bacterial production were removed by the ciliate community on the annual average. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
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