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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 4138

James R. Pratt and John Cairns, Jr.; Long-Term Patterns of Protozoan Colonization in Douglas Lake, Michigan. J.Protozool. 32(1):95-99, 1985

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Long-term patterns of noninteractive and interactive protozoan colonization of polyurethane foam (PF) artificial substrates in Douglas Lake, Michigan were examined for a 14-yr period. Species-time data were fitted to the MacArthur-Wilson equilibrium model, S=Seq(1-e(-Gt)), and examined through time from 1969-1982. Comparisons were made to historical water chemistry measurements. No long-term changes in water chemistry were evident. Similarly, equilibrium species number (Seq) and colonization rate (G) oscillated about a mean through time. Protozoan colonization of PF substrates appeared stable for extended periods and showed modest variation from year to year. Examination of 7-yr-old substrates in 1982 revealed little difference from young (<50 days) substrates. Previous reports of senescence of artificial substrate communities may have been due to habitat loss within the substrates. No evidence existed for chemical or biological degradation of the lake.