Ref ID : 2176
O.W. Heal; The Use of Cultures for Studying Testacea (Protozoa: Rhizopoda) in Soil. Pedobiologia 4:1-7, 1964
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1. In a preliminary survey of Testacea of woodland soils a comparison has been made of the following methods: non-enrichment cultures, soil suspension slides and soil sections. 2. Of the species observed in the soil, 85-100% were recorded in liquid cultures and 61-76% on agar. It is concluded that the use of non-enrichment cultures can provide an accurate list of the Testacea in soil. 3. Soil extract agar medium can select against species with large pyriform tests because their activity is restricted by the thin water film. These species are typically confined to the Ao F and H layers of the moder soils where there is more available living space. Species with large flattened tests or tests less than 50 µm in size appear to be better adapted to soil conditions.