TY - JOUR A1 - Puppe, Daniel A1 - Ehrmann, Otto A1 - Kaczorek, Danuta A1 - Wanner, Manfred A1 - Sommer, Michael T1 - The protozoic Si pool in temperate forest ecosystems - Quantification, abiotic controls and interactions with earthworms JF - Geoderma : an international journal of soil science N2 - Biogenic silicon (BSI) pools influence Si cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. As research has been focused mainly on phytogenic BSi pools until now, there is only little information available on quantities of other BSi pools. There are no systematic studies on protozoic Si pools - here represented by idiosomic testate amoebae (TA) - and abiotic and biotic influences in temperate forest ecosystems. We selected ten old forests along a strong gradient in soil forming factors (especially parent material and climate), soil properties and humus forms. We quantified idiosomic Si pools, corresponding annual biosilicification, plant-available and amorphous Si fractions of topsoil horizons. Furthermore, we analyzed the potential influences of abiotic factors (e.g. soil pH) and earthworms on idiosomic Si pools. While idiosomic Si pools were relatively small (up to 5 kg Si ha(-1)), annual biosilicification rates of living TA (17-80 kg Si ha(-1)) were comparable to or even exceeded reported data of annual Si uptake by trees. Soil pH exerted a strong, non-linear control on plant-available Si. Surprisingly, no relationship between Si supply and idiosomic Si pools could be found (no Si limitation). Instead, idiosomic Si pools showed a strong, negative relationship to earthworm biomasses, which corresponded to humus forms. We concluded that earthworms control idiosomic Si pools in forest soils by direct (feeding, competition) and/or indirect mechanisms (e.g. change of habitat structure). Earthworms themselves were strongly influenced by soil pH: Below a threshold of pH 3.8 no endogeic or anecic earthworms existed. As soil pH is a result of weathering and acidification idiosomic Si pools are indirectly, but ultimately controlled by soil forming factors, mainly parent material and climate. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Biogenic silica KW - Testate amoebae KW - Biosilicification KW - Terrestrial Si cycle KW - Si fractions KW - Humus forms Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2014.12.018 SN - 0016-7061 SN - 1872-6259 VL - 243 SP - 196 EP - 204 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wanner, Manfred A1 - Elmer, Michael A1 - Sommer, Michael A1 - Funk, Roger A1 - Puppe, Daniel T1 - Testate amoebae colonizing a newly exposed land surface are of airborne origin JF - Ecological indicators : integrating monitoring, assessment and management N2 - We hypothesized that at the very beginning of terrestrial ecosystem development, airborne testate amoebae play a pivotal role in facilitating organismic colonization and related soil processes. We, therefore, analyzed size and quantity of airborne testate amoebae and immigration and colonization success of airborne testate amoebae on a new land surface (experimental site "Chicken Creek", artificial post-mining water catchment). Within an altogether 91-day exposure of 70 adhesive traps, 12 species of testate amoebae were identified to be of airborne origin. Phryganella acropodia (51% of all individuals found, diameter about 35-45 mu m) and Centropyxis sphagnicola (23% of all individuals found, longest axis about 55-68 mu m), occurred most frequently in the adhesive traps. We extrapolated an aerial amoeba deposition of 61 individuals d(-1) m(-2) (living and dead individuals combined). Although it would be necessary to have a longer sequence (some additional years), our analysis of the "target substrate" of aerial immigration (catchment site) may point to a shift from a stochastic (variable) beginning of community assembly to a more deterministic (stable) course. This shift was assigned to an age of seven years of initial soil development. Although experienced specialists are necessary to conduct these time-consuming studies, the presented data suggest that terrestrial amoebae are suitable indicators for initial ecosystem development and utilization. KW - Artificial water catchment KW - Immigration by air KW - Biological indicator Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2014.07.037 SN - 1470-160X SN - 1872-7034 VL - 48 SP - 55 EP - 62 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER -