Ref ID : 2349
Marie-Madeleine Couteaux; Relationships between Testate Amoebae and Fungi in Humus Microcosms. Soil Biol.Biochem. 17(3):339-345, 1985
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Malt extract was added to soil in order to provoke the natural growth of fungi. The testate community was quantified. The main species, Phryganella acropodia increased in numbers during the first 3 weeks then it reached a steady state. The growth of three other species: (Centropyxis aerophila sphagnicola, Plagiopyxis declivis and Tracheleuglypha acolla) was followed and their densities were one-tenth of those of P. acropodia although their numbers increased towards the end of the experiment when the density of P. acropodia became stable. Features of the growth of the testate amoebae were estimated (rate of growth, production, mortality, number of generations and generation time) to explain the fluctuations of their densities. The numbers of fungal spores and the variation of the biomass of mycelium were measured, and were different to what would have been expected as the biomass of fungi remained unaltered. The hypothesis of mycophagy of P. acropodia is proposed and supported by the frequency of the presence of this species on mycelium.