Premium
Long‐Term Dynamics of Microbial Biofilm Communities of the River Rhine with Special References to Ciliates
Author(s) -
Ackermann Barbara,
Esser Markus,
Scherwaß Anja,
Arndt Hartmut
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
international review of hydrobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1522-2632
pISSN - 1434-2944
DOI - 10.1002/iroh.201011286
Subject(s) - biofilm , meiobenthos , biology , ecology , plankton , algae , heterotroph , invertebrate , protozoa , microbial population biology , bacteria , abundance (ecology) , botany , genetics
The aim of this study was to quantify and qualify seasonal changes of all important components of a microbial biofilm community. We explored the development of the biofilm community structure on submerged glass slides for 15 months including all organisms from bacteria to macro‐invertebrates. Besides bacteria, heterotrophic flagellates were the most abundant biofilm component followed by ciliates, meiofauna organisms and algae. Most important were sessile choanoflagellates, peritrichous ciliates and some crustaceans. Ciliates and macrofauna were the most important components with regard to the total biovolume. The biofilm architecture was strongly influenced by extracellular structures produced by protozoans and macro‐invertebrates. Alterations within the biofilm community were mainly due to changes in abundances rather than in the composition except for heterotrophic flagellates and macro‐invertebrates. Biofilm organisms were dominated by planktivorous organisms exerting a strong grazing impact on the plankton organisms in this large river. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)