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Projekt Druckansicht

Zusammenhang zwischen Ernährungsweise und ökophysiologischer Nischenweite und deren Einfluss auf das Verbreitungsmuster chrysomonader Flagellaten

Fachliche Zuordnung Ökologie und Biodiversität der Tiere und Ökosysteme, Organismische Interaktionen
Hydrogeologie, Hydrologie, Limnologie, Siedlungswasserwirtschaft, Wasserchemie, Integrierte Wasserressourcen-Bewirtschaftung
Mikrobielle Ökologie und Angewandte Mikrobiologie
Förderung Förderung von 2016 bis 2020
Projektkennung Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 314530438
 
Erstellungsjahr 2021

Zusammenfassung der Projektergebnisse

Chrysophyceae are a diverse group of planktonic protists widely distributed in freshwater. They encompass a variety of orders, whereby heterotrophy has evolved independently in several phylogenetic lineages. Therefore, closely related taxa evolved that developed different feeding strategies (photo-, mixo-, heterotrophy). In the present project, we have investigated the niche width of chrysophytes both in laboratory experiments and using environmental data of 217 freshwater lakes throughout Europe. In laboratory experiments, some patterns can be identified in relation to niche width. Heterotrophic Chrysophyceae could tolerate higher salinities, as well as more acidic and alkaline pH values compared to phototrophic Chrysophyceae. Whereas phototrophic strains, or mixotrophic strains with predomninate phototrophic nutrition react strongly to changes in light intensity. But the laboratory experiments also showed that the niche width is strongly strain-specific. For instance, experiments showed that mixotrophic strains of Ochromonas danica and Poterioochromonas malhamensis exhibited great tolerances to all conditions tested. We have investigated the extent to which the potential niche differs from the niche actually exploited using molecular data from over 200 European freshwater lakes. Our studies confirmed that the Chrysophyceae are one of the most common and widespread groups in freshwater lakes. Ochromonadales and Chrysosaccales are the most widespread Chrysophyceae groups and show a high degree of OTU diversity. Most detected and assignable OTUs were affiliated with mixotrophic Chrysophyceae. Ecophysiological tolerance range differed neither systematically with phylogeny nor with nutritional mode. However, taxa with an exceptionally high tolerance range are found among the different clades and nutrition modes and belong to the most abundant and widespread eukaryotes in freshwater ecosystems.

Projektbezogene Publikationen (Auswahl)

 
 

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