Terrestrial Protozoa*

Abstract

SYNOPSIS Litters and soils are special interstitial ecosystems containing water in surface films and pore spaces, large amounts of organic matter, and are subject to extreme moisture and temperature fluctuations. “Terrestrial protozoa” are ubiquitous limnetic species tolerant of high CO2 tensions and possessing efficient encystment mechanisms.Protozoa exploit tiny microhabitats unavailable to larger animals (e.g. nematodes). Naked amebae dominate due to their flexible bodies and interface locomotion. Small flagellates may be abundant, especially in litters. Ciliates are less numerous but their species composition indicates the degree of moisture of the habitat, as do the slower‐growing testacea which become prominent in regions of slow decomposition (conifer and tundra biomes). Protozoa promote decomposition by enhancing bacterial metabolism, eating excess bacteria, and excreting simple compounds returnable to plants. Large populations, especially amebae, exploit the abundant bacterial flora of plant root zones (rhizosphere). One protozoon, Colpoda cucullus, has successfully invaded the surfaces of vegetation.