Ref ID : 2881
Manfred Wanner and Wolfram Dunger; Immigration and Primary Succession of Protists (Testate Amoebae) on Recultivated Lignite Mine Spoils in Eastern Germany. Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft fur Okologie 29:321-327, 1999
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Immigration to and colonisation of recultivated opencast coal mining areas by soil organisms were investigated in the Gorlitz region (Berzdorf opencast mining site, Upper Lusatia, Eastern Germany). The results obtained point out that immigration by air is essential for both protists and soil microarthropods. Colonisation of organism- and humus-free substratum (as used for mine dump reclamation) by soil protista took place immediately after establishment of the test sites. Testate amoebae were found after five months, initially four to seven taxa per plot with densities of approx. three to nine million individuals per square metre. Virtually all species immigrated by air and orginated from a plantation located nearby, but long-distance immigration also occurred. The establishment of colonisers depended strongly on quality and exposition of the substratum. The colonisation was >> additive <<, replacement of testate amoeba species by others was not observed. On all study sites, small ubiquists with short generation times dominated, mainly Trinema spp., Euglypha rotunda, and Corythion dubium. Cluster analysis by species identity revealed characteristic species combination for different types of recultivated mine spoils. Regarding 2 to 35 year-old afforested mine soils, a consistent development was observed concerning amoebal species inventory, population density, biomass, and diversity in relation to age, substratum and stocking. Population density and biomass were in the same dimension as those in undisturbed forest soils, but typical humus-inhabiting, large-sized testate amoebae were lacking or occurred only rarely. Apparent correlations between soil pH and coenological properties are discussed.