Acta Protozool. (2006) 45: 65 - 75
The Moss Dwelling Testacean Fauna of the Strømness Bay (South Georgia)
Sofie VINCKE1, Bart Van de VIJVER1 , Niek GREMMEN1,2 and Louis BEYENS1
1
University of Antwerp (Campus Drie Eiken), Department of Biology, Unit of Polar Ecology, Limnology & Paleobiology, Antwerp,
Belgium; 2Data Analyse Ecologie, Diever, and NIOO-CEMO, Yerseke, Netherlands
Summary. The study of 22 aquatic and 36 terrestrial moss samples of the Strømness Bay (South Georgia, sub-Antarctica) revealed
71 testate amoebae taxa (Protists) belonging to 21 genera. Twenty-eight taxa were reported for the first time, which resulted in a total of
87 testate amoebae taxa observed from South Georgia. A cluster and a correspondence analysis pointed out a clear difference between the
aquatic and the terrestrial moss samples. Four assemblages of characteristic testate amoebae species with specific ecological preferences
were distinguished. The moss dwelling testacean fauna of South Georgia was compared to other sub-Antarctic islands, such as Marion Island,
Îles Kerguelen and Île de la Possession.
Key words: aquatic mosses, assemblages, biogeography, Île de la Possession, South Georgia, sub-Antarctica, terrestrial mosses, testate
amoebae.
INTRODUCTION
Testate amoebae (Protists) are a group of freeliving, heterotrophic protists with a world-wide distribution (Smith 1992). Recently a lot of attention has been
given to the factors influencing the geographical distribution of these testate rhizopods. Most species are
dispersed world-wide by wind and on the legs of birds
or floating vegetation (Smith and Wilkinson 1986). An
alternative hypothesis suggests the existence of geoAuthor for correspondence: Sofie Vincke, University of Antwerp
(Campus Drie Eiken), Department of Biology, Unit of Polar
Ecology, Limnology & Paleobiology, Universiteitsplein 1,
B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Fax. +32 3 280 29 50; E-mail:
sofie.vincke@ua.ac.be
graphical barriers for larger and heavier species. The
lack of decent records however, may lead to hasty
conclusions about the bio-geographical distribution of
testate amoebae. Therefore, extensive research of testate
amoebae habitats all over the world is necessary, especially on remote islands such as South Georgia.
The earliest records of testate amoebae on South
Georgia were made by Richters (1908), who reported 5
taxa from moss samples of the Cumberland Bay and
Royal Bay areas (Fig. 1). Sixteen years later, Sandon
and Cutler (1924) observed 15 taxa in organic soil
samples collected in the Grytviken area. Both studies
should be considered as preliminary and reveal only a
very small fraction of the real living testacean fauna of
South Georgia. Not until late in the twentieth century,
66 S. Vincke et al.
was the testate rhizopod fauna of the island more
extensively studied by Smith (1982) and Beyens et al.
(1995). These authors reported respectively 20 testate
amoebae taxa from soils and peats (Smith 1982) and 46
taxa from freshwater habitats of the Strømness Bay
(Beyens et al. 1995).
The moss dwelling testacean fauna of South Georgia
remained unstudied however. Given the fact that mosses
are the dominant vegetational life form in the whole
Antarctic region (Putzke and Pereira 2001) and that
testate amoebae are frequently observed from Antarctic
mosses (e.g. Grospietsch 1971; Smith 1974, 1986; Vincke
et al. 2004a), it is clear that the study of the moss
habitats will complete the information about the testate
amoebae fauna on South Georgia. Furthermore will the
results of this study allow testing of some hypotheses
regarding the biogeography of testate amoebae or the
relationship between testacean diversity and latitude?
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study site. The sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia is located
in the Southern Ocean (54-55°S; 36-38°W), about 1300 km eastsoutheast of the Falkland Islands and 1930 km of Cape Horn (Chile,
South America) (Fig. 1). The 3760 km2 large island lies south of the
Antarctic Convergence and belongs to the sub-Antarctic region of
Holdgate (1964). The climate is cold, but a permanent maritime
influence limits the variation of temperatures between +4.4 in January and - 1.5 in July (Smith 1978). Annual precipitation usually
exceeds 1580 mm (Greene 1964) and prevailing wind directions are
northwest and southeast (Smith 1978).
Much of the island is rugged and mountainous, with the highest
point, Mount Paget, at 2915 m a.s.l. About 56% of the island is
covered by glaciers that have been retreating during the last 17000
years, depositing millions of tons of moraine on the floor of the
island’s bays and surrounding ocean (Morley 2004). The vegetation
of South Georgia consists mainly of grasses, mosses and lichens,
while seabirds and seals dominate the animal life on the island.
Sampling. During the austral summer of 1992-1993, twentytwo aquatic moss and thirty aquatic sediment samples were taken in
the region of the Strømness Bay on South Georgia. Results on testate
amoebae in these aquatic habitats have already been published by
Beyens et al. (1995). During the same period another 36 terrestrial
moss samples were collected near the Strømness Bay, from which the
diatom flora has been studied (Van de Vijver and Beyens 1997). To
determine the moss-inhabiting testacean fauna of South Georgia, the
36 terrestrial moss samples of Van de Vijver and Beyens (1997) as
well as the 22 aquatic moss samples of Beyens et al. (1995) were
analysed. Eleven samples (out of 48) were withdrawn from further
analysis, since they contained no or too little testate amoebae (less
than 10 tests per slide).
The moisture content of the sampled mosses was determined
with reference to the F-classification of Jung (1936): FI - submerged
mosses; FII - free-floating mosses, partly submerged, partly floating;
FIII - very wet-water drips from sample without pressure; FIV - wetwater drips after by slight pressure; FV - semi-wet-water drips after
moderate pressure; FVI - moist-little water produced after high
pressure); FVII - semi-dry-only a few drops of water can be squeezed
out; FVIII - dry-no water (Meisterfeld 1977). Water pH was measured, when possible, with a Hanna water tester and the habitat type
of the sampled mosses was determined as follows: S - stream,
P - pool, L - lake and T - terrestrial environments. All moss material
was fixated in 3% formaldehyde.
Identifications of moss species are based on Bell (1973, 1974,
1984), Clarke (1973), Frahm (1988), Greene (1968, 1973), Lightowlers
(1985), Newton (1979, 1983), Ochyra (1998). An overview of the
characteristics of the samples used in this study is given in Table 1.
Slide preparation and counting. Moss samples were thoroughly shaken and stirred for 5 min in an indefinite amount of distilled
water. The suspension was passed through a sieve with a mesh
diameter of 595 µm and concentrated by centrifugation (10 min at
2500 rpm). The colour Rose Bengal was added to the samples to
distinguish dead from living tests (at the moment of sampling).
Encysted testate amoebae were considered as being alive. In each
moss sample 150 tests were counted using a Leitz Wetzlar® microscope. Morphological identifications of the testate amoebae are mainly
based on works by Deflandre (1928, 1929, 1936), Grospietsch (1964),
Decloître (1962, 1978, 1979, 1981), Ogden and Hedley (1980),
Ogden (1983) and Hoogenraad and de Groot (1940).
Data analysis. For pairwise comparison of the testate amoebae
fauna of South Georgia with other sub-Antarctic islands, the Community Coefficient of Sørensen (1948) was calculated. This index, based
on the number of common taxa, has following formula: 2C/(A+B+2C),
with A and B being the number of taxa exclusively observed in one
place, whereas C is the number of taxa the 2 places have in common.
Diversity analysis [Shannon Wiener diversity index (log10-based)]
was performed using the Multivariate Statistical Package (MVSP)
(Kovach Computing Services, 2002). The Gini evenness measure was
calculated because of his independence of the number of taxa per
sample and therefore allowing a better comparison between the
samples (Nijssen et al. 1998).
A hierarchic-agglomerative cluster analysis, based on a minimum
variance strategy with the Squared Euclidian Distance as a dissimilarity measure, was carried out to classify the species data (MVSP)
(Kovach Computing Services, 2002). Species data were log(e) transformed.
A correspondence analysis (CA) was performed to explore possible relationships between the moss dwelling testate amoebae fauna
and the measured environmental variables (F-value, pH and habitattype) using the computer program CANOCO version 4.0 (Ter Braak
and Smilauer 1998). Species data were square-root-transformed in
order to downweight dominant taxa. The statistical techniques used
are described in full detail by Jongman et al. (1987).
RESULTS
Species composition. The microscopic analysis of
37 samples revealed a total of 71 testate amoebae taxa
(species, varieties and forms), belonging to 21 genera.
Moss testacean fauna of Strømness Bay 67
Figs 1A, B. A - Sketch map of the southern Atlantic Ocean with the position of South Georgia. B - Map of South Georgia, with indication of
the Strømness Bay where samples have been collected.
An alphabetical list of all observed taxa with their
relative abundance is given in Appendix 1. This list
contains 13 testate amoebae taxa (4.4% of all counted
tests) which could not be identified up to species level.
Identification of these taxa, using Scanning Electron
Microscopy (SEM), will be the subject of another paper.
Twenty-eight testate amoebae taxa (39%) are reported
here for the first time from South Georgia. These are
indicated with an * in Appendix 1.
The most abundant testate rhizopod taxa in the mosses
of South Georgia were Trinema lineare Penard (16.6%),
Microchlamys patella (Claparede and Lachmann)
Cockerell (15.8%), Corythion dubium Taranek (14.6%),
Nebela collaris Ehrenberg (11.1%) and Difflugia pulex
Penard (10.1%). Twenty-five testate amoebae taxa had
relative frequencies <1%.
Figure 2 shows the number of taxa encountered per
genus and the relative abundance of the genus. The
genera Centropyxis and Difflugia showed the highest
species diversity, respectively 12 and 11 taxa, while
Trinema was the most abundant genus.
Thirty-one percent of the testate amoebae fauna was
alive at the moment of sampling. This number corresponds to a dead-living ratio of 2.2. The proportion of
cysts was very low (0.4%). Encysted organisms belonged mostly to the taxon Nebela collaris (0.3 %), but
also to Difflugia globulosa Dujardin, Euglypha strigosa
Leidy and Trinema lineare.
The diversity analysis revealed a mean ShannonWiener diversity index (H’) of 0.65 ± 0.05 and a Ginievenness measure of 0.37 ± 0.01. The highest diversity
was measured in sample M352 (H’=1.03), an FV moss
sample (Tortula robusta) collected near a small brooklet at Tønsberg Point. The lowest diversity was observed in M332 (H’=0.02), a Sphagnum fimbriatum
moss strongly dominated by Nebela collaris. The mean
number of taxa per sample was 12 ± 1, with a maximum
of 22 testate amoebae taxa in samples M352 and M326,
and a minimum of 2 taxa in samples W395 and M332.
Community analysis. A hierarchic-agglomerative
cluster analysis revealed 4 clusters, named after their
most characteristic testate amoebae taxon (Fig. 3):
(1) Nebela collaris assemblage
(2) Corythion dubium assemblage
(3) Microchlamys patella assemblage
(4) Difflugia bryophila assemblage
Table 2 lists the most important characteristics of the
4 communities.
Samples of the Nebela collaris assemblage had
very low diversity indices, due to the extreme dominance
of Nebela collaris and Euglypha strigosa. Water
pH-values were rather low (4.4 ± 0.1) compared to
68 S. Vincke et al.
Table 1. Overview of the characteristics of the samples used in the analysis.
Sample
Hab
W365
W366
W367
W370
W371
W383
W387
W388
W390
W395
W397
W399
W402
W407
W412
M317
M318
M320
M321
M323
M324
M325
M326
M329
M330
M331
M332
M336
M337
M338
M345
M347
M348
M349
M350
M351
M352
S
S
P
P
S
S
P
L
P
P
L
P
P
P
L
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
T
F
pH a
II
I
II
I
I
II
I
I
I
II
I
I
I
I
I
III
III
VI
VII
IV
VIII
V
IV
VIII
VII
VI
IV
IV
III
III
VII
VII
VI
V
VII
VIII
V
8.2
7.7
6.1
5.6
7.6
6.6
5.7
4.2
4.3
7.5
4.6
6.6
8.1
6.2
7.3
4.4
6.2
6.6
4.6
6
-
Moss species
Brachytecium subplicatum + Orthotheciella varia
moss A
Warnstorfia sarmentosa + Warnstofia laculosa
Warnstorfia laculosa
moss A
moss A
W. sarmentosa + Sanionia uncinata + O. varia
Warnstorfia laculosa
Warnstorfia laculosa
Warnstorfia laculosa
Warnstorfia laculosa
Warnstorfia laculosa
Warnstorfia laculosa
Sanionia uncinata + Warnstorfia laculosa
Andreaea depressinervis + Warnstorfia laculosa
Warnstorfia sarmentosa + Orthotheciella varia
Hepatic
Tortula robusta
Tortula filaris
Warnstorfia sarmentosa
Polytrichastrum alpinum
Tortula robusta
cfr. Orthotheciella varia
Tortula saxicola (?) + Polytrichum juniperinum
Conostomum pentastichum
Pohlia sp
Sphagnum fimbriatum
Campylium polygamum
Brachytecium austrosalebrosum
Sanionia uncinata
Campylium polygamum
Racomitrium striatipilum
Campylopus clavatus
Warnstorfia sarmentosa
Camplylopus clavatus
Racomitrium lanuginosum
Tortula robusta
Hab -habitat type: S - stream, P - pool, L - lake and T - terrestrial environments; F - classification of Jung (1936);a when measured.
neutral pH-values of the other assemblages. The terrestrial moss samples of the Corythion dubium assemblage had very low moisture contents (between FVI and
FVII). These dry mosses were also characterised by
taxa as Assulina muscorum, A. sp1 and Euglypha
compressa. On the other hand, the Microchlamys
patella assemblage grouped all aquatic mosses (FI and
FII) from pools, lakes and streams. Next to M. patella,
Difflugia pulex (and other Difflugia taxa), Difflugiella
crenulata and Euglypha tuberculata typified this
cluster. The three terrestrial moss samples appearing in
this cluster (M317, M318, M337) were taken along
fast flowing brooklets of meltwater. The very frequent
washing over by the meltwater explains the FIII
moisture values of these three moss samples and
emphasises again the importance of humidity on the
testacean species distribution. The terrestrial samples
of the Difflugia bryophila assemblage had intermediate F-values and highest diversity indices. Testate
amoebae taxa such as Centropyxis aerophila and
Nebela lageniformis were characteristic for this assemblage.
Moss testacean fauna of Strømness Bay 69
Table 2. Characteristics of the 4 clusters. Means are provided with standard errors.
Number of samples
Number of species
Shannon-Wiener Diversity
Gini Evenness Measure
Mean Species Richness
Mean F-range
Habitat type (number of samples):
Stream
Pool
Lake
Terrestrial
CL 1
Nebela collaris
CL 2
Corythion
dubium
CL 3
Microchlamys
patella
CL 4
Difflugia
bryophila
6
20
0.37 ± 0.12
0.39 ± 0.04
6.5 ± 1.6
FIII - FIV
10
39
0.60 ± 0.07
0.34 ± 0.02
10.2 ± 1.1
FVI - FVII
15
47
0.69 ± 0.07
0.35 ± 0.02
12.7 ± 1.2
FI - FII
6
39
0.91 ± 0.04
0.40 ± 0.02
17 ± 2
FIV - FV
0
3
0
3
0
0
0
10
4
5
3
3
0
0
0
6
0*0
0*0
50 * 1
0*0
33 * 4
5*3
0*0
0*0
0*0
33 * 1
50 * 31
0*0
83 * 7
100 * 66
17 * 1
17 * 3
17 * 9
67 * 8
90 * 7
30 * 6
100 * 50
10 * 1
40 * 17
12 * 7
0*0
10 * 1
50 * 3
60 * 3
30 * 2
0*0
30 * 1
10 * 9
10 * 3
30 * 1
10 * 3
100 * 16
7*1
80 * 4
40 * 2
20 * 1
87 * 21
33 * 8
40 * 9
47 * 5
0*0
40 * 3
0*0
13 * 16
100 * 34
7*1
7*2
67 * 3
67 * 3
87 * 18
0*0
100 * 11
83 * 4
100 * 10
50 * 7
36 * 4
17 * 1
50 * 2
0*0
67 * 2
0*0
0*0
83 * 6
17 * 7
100 * 6
33 * 2
67 * 9
100 * 33
Frequency of occurrence in samples (%) *
Relative abundance in these samples (%)
Assulina muscorum
Centropyxis aerophila
Corythion dubium
Difflugia bryophila
Difflugia pulex
genus Difflugia
Difflugiella crenulata
Edaphonobiotus campascoides
Euglypha compressa
Euglypha rotunda
Euglypha strigosa
Euglypha tuberculata
Microchlamys patella
Nebela collaris
Nebela lageniformis
Pseudodifflugia fulva
Trinema enchelys
Trinema lineare
A correspondence analysis confirmed the assemblages formed by the cluster analysis (Fig. 4a). The
Eigen values (l1 = 0.60 and l2 = 0.49) of the first two
CA-axes accounted for only 24.8% of the cumulative
variance in the testate amoebae data. This low percentage is typical for noisy data sets containing may zero
values. Most probably the first axis corresponds to the
pH of the samples, while the second axis relates to the
moisture content of the moss samples. A CA-species
plot is also shown (Fig. 4b) and indicated the same
characteristic taxa for each assemblage. Species in the
centre of the ordination, such as Trinema lineare and
Euglypha rotunda (abundant in all 4 assemblages),
have little ecological preferences and appear under
highly variable moist conditions.
DISCUSSION
Species composition and communities
The study of the moss dwelling testacean fauna
of South Georgia revealed 71 taxa, which is the highest
number of testate amoebae taxa recorded from the
island so far. Twenty-eight taxa are reported for the
first time and comparing the species list with Sandon
and Cutler (1924), Smith (1982) and Beyens et al.
(1995), brings the total to 87 testate amoebae taxa on
South Georgia (17 unidentified species not taken into
account).
The cluster and the correspondence analysis point out
a clear difference between the aquatic and the terrestrial
70 S. Vincke et al.
Fig. 2. Diagram showing the number of testate amoebae taxa per
genus and the relative abundance (%) of the genus.
Fig. 3. A hierarchic-agglomerative cluster analysis showing the 4
clusters: (1) Nebela collaris cluster, (2) Corythion dubium cluster,
(3) Microchlamys patella cluster and (4) Difflugia bryophila cluster
Figs 4A, B. A - CA ordination showing sample sites. Sites are labelled according to their correspondent cluster. B - CA species ordination. Taxon
codes are explained in Appendix 1.
moss samples. The water surrounding the aquatic mosses
has a significant influence on the testacean species
distribution and therefore aquatic moss samples should
be handled as aquatic samples rather than moss samples.
The preference of Microchlamys patella for aquatic
mosses (FI-FII), confirmed its ecological preference as
observed on Île de la Possession (Vincke et al. 2004c).
Similarly, Difflugia-taxa (especially D. pulex) were
more abundant in aquatic habitats (Beyens et al. 1995;
Vincke et al. 2004a,b), whereas Nebela-taxa were
more bound to moist terrestrial mosses (e.g. Nebela
lageniformis in the Difflugia bryophila assemblage).
The species poor Nebela collaris assemblage was
found in rather wet mosses (FIII - FIV) sampled from
different localities in the Strømness Bay. The same
assemblage was also described by Beyens et al. (1995),
Moss testacean fauna of Strømness Bay 71
Fig. 5. Comparison of the relative abundance (%) of Trinema lineare
(white bars) and individuals of the genus Centropyxis (black bars) on
South Georgia and Crozet.
as characteristic for most acid waterbodies. Indeed,
samples of this cluster had a mean pH of 4.4 ± 0.1 (SE)
and were clearly distinctive from the neutral to slightly
alkaline pH-values from the moss samples from the
other assemblages.
Taxa such as Corythion dubium, Assulina
muscorum, Assulina sp1 and Euglypha compressa
were characteristic for the driest mosses sampled (FVIFVII-FVIII). Moisture preferences of these taxa all
correspond to the ones found on Île de la Possession
(Vincke et al. 2004c). Smith (1982) found A. muscorum
to be more characteristic of wet mosses, but results of
this study clearly indicate A. muscorum to be associated
to drier mosses (Table 2). This study confirmed the
hygrophilous nature of Centropyxis aerophila found by
Smith (1982). The highest abundances of this taxon
were observed in the range from FIII to FV. Difflugia
bryophila, typical for the third assemblage, had high
frequencies in semi-wet moss samples (FIV-FV), confirming earlier records of Île de la Possession (Vincke et
al. 2004c).
The observed dead-living ratio of 2.2 (31% living
tests) of all observed tests may seem rather low compared to high ratios of the temperate regions (about 10),
where empty tests dominate manifold above living and
encysted tests (Balik 1994). Probably the penetration of
water into empty tests, as suggested by Balik (1994),
caused the destruction of empty tests in freeze-thaw
cycles (as appear frequently on South Georgia).
Comparison with other sub-Antarctic islands
Smith (1982) compared the testate amoebae fauna of
South Georgia with Marion Island (Grospietsch 1971: 53
taxa) and Kerguelen (Bonnet 1981: 50 taxa) and found
at that time “a significantly greater species diversity on
these wetter and less cold sub-Antarctic islands than on
South Georgia”. Comparing the actually known rhizopod
fauna of South Georgia (87 taxa) with the same data of
these sub-Antarctic islands (no additional data yet),
results are just the other way round and therefore
Smith’s observed trend about pauperisation towards the
South Pole seems to be overruled. However, this ostensible finding is more probably the result of insufficient
research and lower sampling intensities on Kerguelen
and Marion Island.
When the testacean fauna of South Georgia is compared to the one of sub-Antarctic Île de la Possession
(Crozet Archipelago) (Smith 1975, Vincke et al.
2004a,b,c: 88 taxa + 34 unidentified taxa) however, both
sub-Antarctic islands seem to have rather similar amounts
of testate amoebae taxa. Taken into account the unidentified taxa on both islands (South Georgia: 87+17=104
taxa; Île de la Possession: 88+34=121 taxa), Smith’s
theory (1982) about pauperisation towards the South
Pole is reconfirmed.
Nevertheless it’s still possible that the number of
testate amoebae taxa of South Georgia is higher than
that of Île de la Possession. In contrast to the intensive
sampling strategy on Île de la Possession (over 300
samples analysed from places all over the island by
Richters 1907, Smith 1975 and Vincke et al. 2004a,b,c),
the sampling on South Georgia was restricted (so far) to
several bays along the north-east coast of the island
(in total about 110 samples, Richters 1908, Sandon and
Cutler 1924, Smith 1982, Beyens et al. 1995 and this
study). Knowing that South Georgia (3760 km²) has
about 24 times the surface of Île de la Possession
(156 km²), it is most likely that the limited number of
samples does not represent the total testacean diversity
of the island. Moreover the diversity of microclimates,
that influences the diversity of niches for different
species, may be higher on South Georgia because of the
lower exposure of the island compared to Île de la
Possession. Even though these assumptions can’t be
proven at this point in time, it remains possible that the
testacean fauna of South Georgia, although located at
higher latitude, is indeed more divers than that of Île de
la Possession. Therefore the pauperisation phenomenon
towards the South Pole should be considered as a
general trend rather than a strict rule.
The Sørensen similarity index between South Georgia
and Île de la Possession (0.42) indicates that the composition of the testate amoebae fauna on both islands is
72 S. Vincke et al.
rather different. Both islands have 47 taxa in common,
including 2 unidentified taxa, Assulina sp1 and Difflugia
sp6, that are morphologically (genetic similarity unknown) identical on both places. Trinema lineare was
the most dominating taxon on both islands, but its relative
abundance differed significantly (17%: South Georgia;
32% Île de la Possession) (Fig. 5) (Vincke et al.
2004a,b,c). Another striking difference between the
islands is the number of taxa of the genus Centropyxis
(South Georgia: 17 taxa; Île de la Possession: 8 taxa)
(Fig. 5) and the relative abundances of the Centropyxis
taxa (moss samples South Georgia: 5.8% versus Île de
la Possession: moss: 1.7% (Vincke et al. 2004c); aquatic:
1.3% (Vincke et al. 2004b), soils: 0.5% (Vincke et al.
2004a)). On Île de la Possession, Trinema lineare
became more abundant when moisture was a limiting
factor (24% aquatic habitats; 30% mosses; 41% soils)
(Vincke et al. 2004a,b,c). It appears that samples of
South Georgia were on average taken in wetter conditions than those of Île de la Possession and this would
explain the higher relative abundance of the generally
hygrophilous Centropyxis-taxa (de Graaf 1956) and
lower relative abundance of Trinema lineare.
Despite the considerable geographical distance between the sub-Antarctic islands of South Georgia and Île
de la Possession, and differences in their climatological
and bryological characteristics, it is clear that similar
habitats on both islands are colonised by rather similar
testate amoebae faunas. The 42 rhizopod taxa both
islands have in common (mostly cosmopolitan taxa)
seem to have well-defined ecological preferences (especially for moisture) that are similar in different geographical locations. Besides this shared testate amoebae
fraction, each island maintains a certain degree of
uniqueness, expressed by a number of taxa occurring
only on that specific island, when it comes to filling up the
gaps in the ecological niches. The question remains if
this uniqueness is due to the existence of biogeographical
barriers that inhibit the distribution of certain species, or
to the lack of specific environmental conditions and
habitats required for the survival and development of
population of these species. Therefore, every additional
study on the diversity and ecology of testate amoebae,
from places all over the world, will add indispensable
information about the precise ecological optima and the
biogeography of these free-living protists.
Acknowledgements. This survey was made possible by the British
Antarctic Survey, Cambridge. The authors wish to thank Prof.
Dr. David Walton and the staff of the Terrestrial and Freshwater
Science Division for stimulating discussions and help. Funding was
provided by the national Science Foundation, Belgium (NFWO). Bart
van de Vijver is a Research Assistant at the NFWO.
REFERENCES
Balik V. (1994) On the soil testate amoebae fauna (Protozoa:
Rhizopoda) of the Spitsbergen Islands (Svalbard). Arch. Protistenk.
144: 365-372
Bell B. G. (1973) A synoptic flora of South Georgian mosses: II.
Chorisodontium, Dicranoloma, Dicranum, Platyneurum and
Conostomum. Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. 37: 33-52
Bell B. G. (1974) A synoptic flora of South Georgian mosses: V.
Willlia and Racomitrium. Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. 38: 73-101
Bell B. G. (1984) A synoptic flora of South Georgian mosses:
Grimmia and Schistidium. Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. 63: 71-109
Beyens L., Chardez D., De Baere D., Verbruggen C. (1995) The
aquatic testate amoebae fauna of the Strømness Bay area, South
Georgia. Antarct. Sci. 7: 3-8
Bonnet L. (1981) Thécamoebiens (Rhizopoda, Testacea). C.N.F.R.A.
Biol. Sols. 48: 23-32
Clarke G. C. S. (1973) A synoptic flora of South Georgian mosses:
III. Leptotheca, Philonotis and Pohlia. Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull.
37: 53-79
Decloître L. (1962) Le genre Euglypha Dujardin. Arch. Protistenk.
106: 51-100
Decloître L. (1978) Le genre Centropyxis I. Compléments à jour au
31 décembre 1974 de la Monographie du genre parue en 1929.
Arch Protistenk. 120: 63-85
Decloître L. (1979) Le genre Centropyxis II. Compléments à jour au
31 décembre 1974 de la Monographie du genre parue en 1929.
Arch Protistenk. 121: 162-192
Decloître L. (1981) Le genre Trinema Dujardin, 1841. Révision à jour
au 31 décembre 1979. Arch Protistenk. 124: 193-218
Deflandre G. (1928) Le genre Arcella. Arch. Protistenk. 64: 152-288
Deflandre G. (1929) Le genre Centropyxis. Arch. Protistenk. 67: 322375
Deflandre G. (1936) Etude monographique sur le genre Nebela Leidy.
Ann. de Protistol. 5: 201-327
De Graaf F. (1956) Studies on Rotaria and Rhizopoda from the
Netherlands. Biol. Jb. Dodonea, 23: 145-217
Frahm J.-P. (1988) The subantarctic and southern hemispheric
species of Campylopus (Dicranaceae), with contributions to the
origin and speciation of the genus. J. Hattori bot. Lab. 64: 367387
Greene S. W. (1964) The vascular flora of South Georgia. Br. Antarct.
Surv. Bull. 45: 1-58
Greene S. W. (1968) Studies in Antarctic Bryology. II. - Andreaea,
Neuroloma. Rev Bryol Lichenol 36: 139-146
Greene S. W. (1973) A synoptic flora of South Georgian mosses: I.
Dendroligotrichum, Polytrichum and Psilopilum. Br. Antarct.
Surv. Bull. 36: 1-32
Grospietsch T. (1964) Die gattungen Cryptodifflugia und Difflugiella
(Rhizopoda, Testacea). Zool. Anz. 172: 243-257
Grospietsch T. (1971) Rhizopoda. Beitrag zur ökologie der testaceen
Rhizopoden von Marion Island. In: Marion and Prince Edward
Islands. Report on the South African Biological and Geological
Expedition 1965/1966 (Eds. E. M. van Zinderen Bakker, J. M.
Winterbottom, R. A. Dyer, 37: 411-423
Holdgate M. W. (1964) Terrestrial ecology in the Maritime Antarctic.
In: Bioloqie Anatrctique, (Eds. R. Carrick, M.W. Holdgate,
J. Prévost). Paris, Hermann 181-194
Hoogenraad H. R., Groot A. A. de (1940) Zoetwaterrhizopoden
en -heliozoën. Boschma H. Fauna van Nederland IX Leiden
Jongman R. H., ter Braak C. J. F., van Tongeren O. F. R. (1987) Data
analysis in community and landscape ecology. Pudoc, Wageningen,
Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Jung W. (1936) Thekamöben ursprünglicher, lebender deutscher
Hochmoore. Abh. Landesmus. Provinz. Westfalen Mus. Naturkd.
7: 1-87
Moss testacean fauna of Strømness Bay 73
Lightowlers P. J. (1985) A synoptic flora of South Georgian mosses:
Tortula. Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. 67: 41-77
Meisterfeld R. (1977) Die horizontale und vertikale Verteilung der
Testaceen (Rhizopoden, Testacea) in Sphagnum. Arch. Hydrobiol.
79: 319-356
Morley
S.
(2004)
http://www.expeditionkayak.com
southgeorgia_factsheet.php
Newton M. E. (1979) A synoptic flora of South Georgian mosses:
VIII. Calliergon and Brachythecium. Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. 48:
133-157
Newton M. E. (1983) A synoptic flora of South Georgian mosses:
Campylium. Br. Antart. Surv. Bull. 61: 53-58
Nijssen D., Rousseau R., Van Hecke P. (1998) The Lorenz curve: a
graphical representation of evenness. COENOSES 13: 33-38
Ochyra R. (1998) The Moss Flora of King George Island Antarctica.
Polish Academy of Sciences, W. Szafer Institute of Botany,
Cracow
Ogden C. G. (1983) Observations on the systematics of the genus
Difflugia in Britain (Rhizopoda, Protozoa). Bull. Br. Mus. Nat.
Hist. Zool. Ser. 44: 1-73
Ogden C. G., Hedley, R. H. (1980) An atlas of freshwater testate
amoebae. Br. Mus. Nat. Hist. J. Oxford University Press
Putzke J., Pereira A. B. (2001) The Antarctic Mosses. With special
attention to the South Shetland Islands. Editora Da Ulbra, Brazil
Richters F. (1907) Die Fauna der Moosrasen des Gaussbergs und
einiger Südlicher Inseln. Deutsche Südpolar Expedition 19011903, Zool. H9, 1: 258-302
Richters F. (1908) Moosbewohner. Wiss. Ergebn. Schwed.
Südpolarexped. 6: 1-16
Sandon H., Cutler D. W. (1924) Some protozoa from the soils
collected by the ‘Quest’ expedition (1921-22). J. Linn. Soc. Zool.
36: 1-12
Smith H. G. (1974) A comparative study of protozoa inhabiting
Drepanocladus moss carpet in the South Orkney Islands.
Br. Antarct. Surv. Bull. 38: 1-16
Smith H. G. (1975) Protozoaires terricoles de l’Île de la Possession.
Rev. Ecol. Biol. Sol. 12: 523-530
Smith H. G. (1978) The distribution and ecology of terrestrail
protozoa of sub-Antarctic and maritime antarctic islands.
Br. Antarct. Sur. Sci. Rep. 59
Smith H. G. (1982) The terrestrial protozoan fauna of South Georgia.
Polar Biol. 1: 173-179
Smith H. G. (1986) The testate rhizopod fauna of Drepanocladus
moss carpet near Rothera Station, Adelaide island. Br. Antarct.
Surv. Bull. 72: 77-79
Smith H. G. (1992) Distribution and ecology of testate rhizopod
fauna of the continental Antarctic zone. Polar. Biol. 12: 629-634
Smith H. G., Wilkinson D. M. (1986) Biogeography of testate
rhizopods in the southern temperate and antarctic zones. Colloque
sur les écosystèmes terrestres subantarctiques. C.N.F.R.A. 58:
83-96
Sørensen T. (1948) A method for establishing groups of equal
amplitude in plant sociology based on similarity of species
content. Biol. Skrift. 5: 1379-1394
Ter Braak C. F. J., Smilauer P. (1998) CANOCO Reference Manual
and User’s Guide to Canoco for Windows. Software for canonical
community ordination (version 4). Centre for biometry Wageningen
Van de Vijver B., Beyens L. (1997) The epiphytic diatom flora of
mosses from Strømness Bay area, South Georgia. Polar Biol.
17: 492-501
Vincke S., Ledeganck P. Beyens L., Van de Vijver B. (2004a) Soil
testate amoebae from sub-Antarctic Îles Crozet. Antarct. Sci.
16: 165-174
Vincke S., Beyens L., Van de Vijver B. (2004b) Freshwater testate
amoebae communities from Île de la Possession (Crozet Archipelago, sub-Antarctica). Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res. 36: 584-590
Vincke S., Gremmen N., Beyens L., Van de Vijver B. (2004c) The
moss dwelling testacean fauna of Île de la Possession. Polar Biol.
27: 753-766
Received on 26th July, 2005; revised version on 12th September,
2005; accepted on 28th September, 2005
74 S. Vincke et al.
APPENDIX 1. List of all observed testate amoebae taxa, including abbreviations used in figures and relative abundancies of the taxa. Taxa
reported for the first time on South Georgia are indicated with *. The habitat type in which each taxon was found is also indicated with
S (stream), P (pool), L (lake) and T (terrestrial samples).
Abbreviation
ARCARE
ARCBAT
ARCROT
ARCRSU
ARCSP1
ARCSP2
ARCSP3
ARCVUL
ARCHS1
ASSMUS
ASSSP1
CENACU
CENAER
CENAEM
CENASP
CENASY
CENCAS
CENELO
CENGIB
CENMIN
CENORB
CENPLA
CENSP1
CORDUB
CYCARC
CYCARM
CYCEUR
CYCEUP
DIFBRY
DIFGLA
DIFGSA
DIFGUS
DIFLUC
DIFPAR
DIFPUL
DIFSP1
DIFSP2
DIFSP6
DIFTEN
DLACRE
DLACRG
DLAOVI
DLAOVF
EDACAM
EUGCIL
EUGCOM
EUGCOG
EUGPOL
EUGROT
EUGSTR
EUGSTG
EUGTUB
HELSYL
HYAMIN
HYASP1
HYASP2
Testate amoebae taxon
Arcella arenaria Greeff
* A. bathystoma Deflandre
A. rotundata Playfair
* A. rotundata v. stenostoma f. undulata Deflandre
A. sp1
A. sp2
A. sp3
A. vulgaris Ehrenberg
Archerella sp1
Assulina muscorum Greeff
A. sp1
Centropyxis aculeata Stein
C. aerophila Deflandre
C. aerophila v. minuta Chardez
C. aerophila v. sphagnicola Deflandre
* C. aerophila v. sylvatica Deflandre
* C. cassis Deflandre
C. elongata (Penard) Thomas
* C. gibba Deflandre
* C. minuta Deflandre
* C. orbicularis Deflandre
* C. platystoma Penard
C. sp1
Corythion dubium Taranek
Cyclopyxis arcelloides (Penard) Deflandre
* C. arcelloides v. minima Van Oye
* C. eurystoma Deflandre
* C. eurystoma v. parvula Bonnet & Thomas
* Difflugia bryophila (Penard) Jung
D. glans Penard
D. globulosa Dujardin
D. globulus Hopkinson
D. lucida Penard
* D. parva (Thomas) Ogden
D. pulex Penard
D. sp1
D. sp2
D. sp6
* D. tenuis (Penard) Chardez
* Difflugiella crenulata Playfair
* D. crenulata v. globosa Playfair
* D. oviformis (Penard) Bonnet & Thomas
* D. oviformis v. fusca (Penard) Bonnet & Thomas
* Edaphonobiotus campascoides Schönborn, Foissner & Meisterfeld
* Euglypha ciliata (Ehrenberg) Perty
* E. compressa Carter
* E. compressa v. glabra Cash
* E. polylepis Bonnet
E. rotunda Wailes
E. strigosa Leidy
* E. strigosa v. glabra Wailes
E. tuberculata Dujardin
* Heleopera sylvatica Penard
* Hyalosphenia minuta Cash
H. sp1
H. sp2
Rel. Abund. (%)
0.02
0.02
0.36
0.09
0.07
0.09
0.47
0.29
0.02
1.80
0.56
0.18
3.53
0.05
0.54
1.06
0.04
0.02
0.02
0.02
0.05
0.22
0.04
14.56
0.02
0.22
0.09
0.11
1.68
0.45
0.99
0.86
0.11
0.02
10.07
1.23
0.02
1.26
0.13
1.46
0.02
0.27
0.18
1.14
0.04
0.40
0.34
0.14
1.35
2.67
0.07
0.85
0.02
0.02
0.04
0.16
Habitat
T
T
T/P/L
P
T
T
T
T/S
P
T/S
T
T/L
T/P/S/L
T
T/P/S/L
T/S
T/S
P
P
S
P/L
T/PS/L
S
T/S/P
P
T
T
T/P
T/S/P
T/S/P
T/P/S/L
T/S/P
T/P
P
T/P/S/L
T/PS/L
T
T/P/S/L
T/P
T/P/L
P
T/P/S/L
T/S/P
T/S/P
T
T
T
T
T/S/P
T/P
T
P/L
T
P
T
T
Moss testacean fauna of Strømness Bay 75
Appedix 1.
MICPAT
MICSP1
NEBCAU
NEBCOL
NEBLAG
NEBVAS
NEBWAI
PHRACR
PSEFUL
TRAPUL
TGPSP1
TRIALO
TRICOM
TRIENC
TRILIN
Microchlamys patella (Claparede & Lachmann) Cockerell
Microcorycia sp1
* Nebela caudata Leidy
N. collaris (Ehrenberg) Leidy
N. lageniformis Penard
N. vas (Certes)
N. wailesi Deflandre
Phryganella acropodia (Hertwig & Lesser) Hopkinson
* Pseudodifflugia fulva Penard
Trachelocorythion pulchellum (Penard) Bonnet
Trigonopyxis sp1
Trinema alofsi Stepanek
T. complanatum Penard
T. enchelys Leidy
T. lineare Penard
15.80
0.11
0.02
11.14
1.08
0.14
0.07
0.22
1.06
0.41
0.38
0.20
0.22
2.05
16.59
T/P/S/L
P
T
T/L
T/S
T
T
T/S
T/P/S/L
T/S/P
T/S
T
T
T/P/S/L
T/P/S/L