Search

Protists are the most diverse eukaryotes. These microbes are keystone organisms of soil ecosystems and regulate essential processes of soil fertility such as nutrient cycling and plant growth. Despite this, protists have received little scientific attention, especially compared to bacteria, fungi and nematodes in soil studies. Recent methodological advances, particularly in molecular biology techniques, have made the study of soil protists more accessible, and have created a resurgence of interest in soil protistology. This ongoing revolution now enables comprehensive investigations of the structure and functioning of soil protist communities, paving the way to a new era in soil biology. Instead of providing an exhaustive review, we provide a synthesis of research gaps that should be prioritized in future studies of soil protistology to guide this rapidly developing research area. Based on a synthesis of expert opinion we propose 30 key questions covering a broad range of topics including evolution, phylogenetics, functional ecology, macroecology, paleoecology, and methodologies. These questions highlight a diversity of topics that will establish soil protistology as a hub discipline connecting different fundamental and applied fields such as ecology, biogeography, evolution, plant-microbe interactions, agronomy, and conservation biology. We are convinced that soil protistology has the potential to be one of the most exciting frontiers in biology. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methodological advances are essential for robust ecological research. Quantitative reconstructions of environmental conditions using testate amoebae rely on sound taxonomy. While the taxonomy of large species is relatively well resolved, this is not the case for most small taxa (typically

Molecular data have considerably contributed to building the taxonomy of protists. Recently, the systematics of Hyalospheniidae (Amoebozoa; Tubulinea; Arcellinida) has been widely revised, with implications extending to ecological, biogeographical and evolutionary investigations. Certain taxa, however, still have an uncertain phylogenetic position, including the common and conspicuous species Nebela militaris. A phylogenetic reconstruction of the Hyalospheniidae using partial sequences of the mitochondrial Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit 1 (COI) gene shows that N. militaris does not belong to genus Nebela, but should be placed in its own genus. The morphological singularities (strongly curved pseudostome and a marked notch in lateral view) and phylogenetic placement of our isolates motivated the creation of a new genus: Alabasta gen. nov. Based on their morphology, we include in this genus Nebela kivuense and Nebela longicollis. We discuss the position of genus Alabasta within Hyalospheniidae, and the species that could integrate this new genus based on their morphological characteristics.

In September 2014 we created a small raised bog of ca. 100m2 in the Botanical garden of Neuchâtel. The material (marl and peat) was collected from a degraded peatland in an industrial area of the region. The bog was planted with over 30 species of mosses and vascular plants collected from bogs in the Jura Mountains and from existing collections. This object corresponds to the three missions of the garden : 1) to inform the public as well as students about these unusual, fragile and threatened ecosystems, 2) to present characteristic peatland plants from the Jura Mountains (Sphagnum, Drosera, Eriophorum, Betula nana, etc.), and 3) to conduct research projects. During the winter 2014-15, the snow remained longer on the peatbog that on the adjacent path and meadow, thus providing evidence for a microclimatic effect of the bog. The excessively dry and hot summer 2015 allowed testing the resistance of the newly established bog vegetation. Most plants resisted well, including graminoids Eriophorum vaginatum, Trichophorum cespitosum or Carex sp., ericaceous (Vaccinium oxycoccos, myrtillus and vitis-idea) and mosses (especially Sphagnum). This living laboratory provides a unique opportunity to inform the public about the characteristics and functions of these ecosystems and the challenges of conserving and restoring them in a warmer world.

Sphagnum riparium (Ångström) is a rare constituent of modern peatland plant communities and is also very rarely found as a subfossil in peat archives. We present new data on the occurrence of Sphagnum riparium macrofossils in three Northern Hemisphere peatlands from Yellowknife (NWCanada), Abisko (N Sweden), and the Northern Ural Mountains (NWRussia). Sphagnum riparium macrofossils were present in transitional phases between rich fen and oligotrophic bog. Sphagnum riparium was a dominant species in the three sites and was found in combination with Sphagnum angustifolium, Drepanocladus sp., and vascular plants including Andromeda polifolia, Chamedaphne calyculata and Oxycoccus palustris. Testate amoebae indicate that the species occurred in wet to moderately wet conditions (water-table depth inferred from a testate amoeba transfer function model ranged between 25 and 0 cm under the peatland surface). The wet-indicator taxa Archerella flavum and Hyalosphenia papilio dominated the testate amoeba communities in peat horizons containing Sphagnum riparium. The presence of Sphagnum riparium macrofossils in peat profiles in the Northern Hemisphere can be interpreted as an indication of wet minerotrophic conditions, often corresponding to a rise in water-level and establishment of a wet habitat. Sphagnum riparium is a transient species in these peatlands and is replaced by communities dominated by more acidophilic species such as Sphagnum angustifolium, Sphagnum russowii, and Sphagnum fuscum. Our data show that although Sphagnum riparium is a transient peat-forming species, it is widespread in sub-arctic and boreal environments. The subfossil occurrence of Sphagnum riparium in the Northern Hemisphere may indicate that its range has increased during the Late Holocene. The conservation of Sphagnum riparium in peatlands depends on the existence of relatively short-lived transitional communities which potentially can be artificially created.

Sphagnum peatlands represent a globally significant pool and sink of carbon but these functions are threatened by ongoing climate change. Testate amoebae are useful bioindicators of hydrological changes, but little experimental work has been done on the impact of water table changes on communities. Using a mesocosm experimental setting that was previously used to assess the impact of drought disturbance on communities and ecosystem processes with three contrasted water table positions: wet (–4 cm), intermediate (–15 cm) and dry (–25 cm), we studied the capacity of testate amoeba communities to recover when the water table was kept at –10 cm for all plots. The overall experiment lasted three years. We assessed the taxonomic and functional trait responses of testate amoeba communities. The selected traits were hypothesised to be correlated to moisture content (response traits: shell size, aperture position) or trophic role (effect traits: mixotrophy, aperture size controlling prey range). During the disturbance phase, the mixotrophic species Hyalosphenia papilio dominated the wet and intermediate plots, while the community shifted to a dominance of “dry indicators” (Corythion dubium, Nebela tincta, Cryptodifflugia oviformis) and corresponding traits (loss of mixotrophy, and dominance of smaller taxa with ventral or ventral-central aperture) in dry plots. During the recovery phase we observed two contrasted trends in the previously wet and intermediate plots: communities remained similar where the Sphagnum carpet remained intact but species and traits indicators of drier conditions increased in plots where it had degraded. In the former dry plots, indicators and traits of wet conditions increased by the end of the experiment. This is one of the first experiment simulating a disturbance and subsequent recovery in ex-situ mesocosms of Sphagnum peatland focusing on the response of testate amoebae community structure as well as functional traits to water table manipulation. The results generally confirmed that testate amoebae respond within a few months to hydrological changes and thus represent useful bioindicators for assessing current and past hydrological changes in Sphagnum peatlands.

An ever-increasing diversity of potentially toxic chemical compounds are being developed and released into the environment as a result of human activities (e.g. agriculture, drugs, and cosmetics). Among these, pesticides have been shown to affect non-targeted wildlife since the 1960s. A range of ecotoxicological tests are used to assess the toxicity of pesticides on various model organisms. However most model organisms are metazoans, while the majority of Eukaryotes are unicellular microorganisms known as protists. Protists are ubiquitous organisms of key functional roles in all ecosystems but are so far little studied with respect to pesticide impact. To fill this gap, we developed a new ecotoxicological test based on Euglypha rotunda, a common soil amoeba, grown in culture flask with Escherichia coli as sole food source. We tested this assay with the herbicide S-metolachlor, which is known to affect cell division in seedling shoots and roots of weeds. Reproducible growth conditions were obtained for E. rotunda. The growth of E. coli was not affected by the herbicide. The growth of E. rotunda was affected by the herbicide in a non-linear way, growth being significantly reduced at ca. 15 μg/L, but not at 150 μg/ L. Our results show the potential for using soil protists in ecotoxicology and adds to the growing body of evidence for non-linear impacts of pesticides on non-target organisms. With the acquisition of additional data, the protocol should be suitable for standard ecotoxicological tests.

We describe here a new species of sphagnicolous testate amoeba found abundantly in the forested part of the Le Cachot peatland (Jura Mountains, Neuchâtel, Switzerland) based on microscopical observations (LM, SEM). The new species, called Nebela gimlii was placed in a phylogenetic tree based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase sequences (COI), and branched robustly within the N. collaris complex next to the morphologically similar N. guttata and N. tincta. It is however genetically clearly distinct from these two species, and differs morphologically from them by its smaller size and stouter shape of the shell. This new species completes the phylogeny of the Nebela collaris species complex, with now eight species described, mostly from peatlands and acidic forest litter, and further demonstrates the existence of an unknown diversity within testate amoebae. Improving the taxonomy of testate amoebae in peatlands and clarifying the ecology of newly discovered species should make these organisms even more valuable as bioindicator and for palaeoecological reconstruction.

The community composition of any group of organisms should theoretically be determined by a combination of assembly processes including resource partitioning, competition, environmental filtering, and phylogenetic legacy. Environmental DNA studies have revealed a huge diversity of protists in all environments, raising questions about the ecological significance of such diversity and the degree to which they obey to the same rules as macroscopic organisms. The fast‐growing cultivable protist species on which hypotheses are usually experimentally tested represent only a minority of the protist diversity. Addressing these questions for the lesser known majority can only be inferred through observational studies. We conducted an environmental DNA survey of the genus Nebela, a group of closely related testate (shelled) amoeba species, in different habitats within Sphagnum‐dominated peatlands. Identification based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase 1 gene, allowed species‐level resolution as well as phylogenetic reconstruction. Community composition varied strongly across habitats and associated environmental gradients. Species showed little overlap in their realized niche, suggesting resource partitioning, and a strong influence of environmental filtering driving community composition. Furthermore, phylogenetic clustering was observed in the most nitrogen‐poor samples, supporting phylogenetic inheritance of adaptations in the group of N. guttata. This study showed that the studied free‐living unicellular eukaryotes follow to community assembly rules similar to those known to determine plant and animal communities; the same may be true for much of the huge functional and taxonomic diversity of protists.

Neonicotinoids are the most widely used insecticides in the world . They are applied to a broad range of food, energy, and ornamental crops, and used in domestic pest control. Because they are neorotoxins, they are higyly toxic to insects , a group of organisms that contains the majority of the described life on Earth, and wich includes numerous species of vital importance to humans such as pollinators and predators of pets... Fil: Frey, Hans. Geothermal Electricity Generation; Australia Fil: Tzinieris, Sarah. King's College; Reino Unido Fil: Colin, Marc Edouard. Universidad de Aix-Marsella; Francia Fil: Marchand, Patrice. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Francia Fil: Bastian, Suzanne. University of Brittany-Loire; Francia Fil: Richard, Freddie Jeanne. Université de Poitiers; Francia Fil: Early, Ralph. Harper Adams University; Reino Unido Fil: Herrick, Sarah. University of Manchester; Reino Unido Fil: Arlettaz, Raphaël. University of Bern; Suiza Fil: Wubs, E.R.J.. Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences; Países Bajos Fil: Sitters, Judith. Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences; Países Bajos Fil: Seidl, Irmi. Swiss Federal Research Institute; Suiza Fil: Potthast, Thomas. University of Tübingen; Alemania Fil: Karpinska Kolaczek, Monika. University in Poznan; Polonia Fil: Bücking, Elisabeth. Institute for Forestry Research; Alemania Fil: Vittoz, Pascal. Universite de Lausanne; Suiza Fil: Lundgren, Jonathan G.. Ecdysis Foundation; Estados Unidos Fil: Stöcklin, Jürg. University of Basel; Suiza Fil: Guisan, Antoine. Universite de Lausanne; Suiza Fil: Hufty, Marc. Graduate Institute; Suiza Fil: Moretti, Marco. Swiss Federal Research Institute; Suiza Fil: Aragno, Michel. Universite de Neuchatel; Suiza Fil: Forney, Jeremie. Universite de Neuchatel; Suiza Fil: Todorov, Milcho Todorov. Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; Bulgaria Fil: Gilbert, Daniel. Universite de Franche-Comte; Francia Fil: Geisen, Stefan. Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences; Países Bajos Fil: Lara, Enrique. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Real Jardín Botánico; España Fil: Seppey, Christophe V.W.. University of Tromsø; Noruega Fil: Kudryavtsev, Alexander. Saint Petersburg State University; Rusia Fil: Theurillat, Jean-Paul. Universidad de Ginebra; Suiza Fil: Wilkinson, David M.. University of Lincoln; Estados Unidos Fil: Leadbeater, Elli. University of London; Reino Unido Fil: Glauser, Gaetan. Universite de Neuchatel; Suiza Fil: Koenig, Isabelle. Universite de Neuchatel; Suiza Fil: Hedenec, Petr. Universite de Neuchatel; Suiza Fil: Portier, Christopher J.. Maastricht University; Países Bajos Fil: Stamati, Polyxeni Nicolopoulou. University of Athens; Grecia Fil: Elwood, Bob. The Queens University of Belfast; Irlanda Fil: Nielsen, Anders. University of Oslo; Noruega Fil: Nascimento, Fábio. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil Fil: Wickson, Fern. GenØk Centre for Biosafety; Noruega Fil: Chittka, Lars. University of London; Reino Unido Fil: Yela, José Luis. Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha; España Fil: Boykett, Tim. Johannes Kepler Universitat Linz; Austria Fil: von Weizsäcker, Ernst Ulrich. University of Freiburg; Alemania Fil: Silva, Margarida. Universidade Católica Portuguesa; Portugal Fil: Armitage, Sophie. Freie Universität Berlin; Alemania Fil: Mertens, Martha. Institute for Biodiversity; Alemania Fil: Rembialkowska, Ewa. Warsaw University of Life Sciences; Polonia Fil: Swaegers, Janne. Freie Universität Berlin; Alemania Fil: Rosslenbroich, Bernd. University of Witten/Herdecke; Alemania Fil: Rolff, Jens. Freie Universität Berlin; Alemania Fil: Bøhn, Thomas. GenØk Centre for Biosafety; Noruega Fil: Geiger, Matthias F.. Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig Leibniz; Alemania Fil: Radek, Renate. Freie Universität Berlin; Alemania Fil: Fritz, Jürgen. University of Kassel; Alemania Fil: Vallianatos, Evaggelos. United States Environmental Protection Agency; Estados Unidos Fil: Fraser, Gail. York University; Canadá Fil: Børsen, Tom. Aalborg University; Dinamarca Fil: Kollek, Regine. Universitat Hamburg; Alemania Fil: Loening, Ulrich. University of Edinburgh; Reino Unido Fil: Liess, Matthias. Centro Helmholtz de Investigación Ambiental; Alemania Fil: Schaefer, Ralf B.. Universitat Koblenz; Alemania Fil: Idel, Anita. Mediation And Project Management Agrobiodiversity; Fil: Loske, Reinhard. Witten/Herdecke University; Alemania Fil: Fischer, Doreen. University of Kassel; Alemania Fil: Antoniou, Michael. King’s College London; Reino Unido Fil: Wynne, Brian. University of Lancaster; Reino Unido Fil: Gómez-Ramírez, Pilar. Universidad de Murcia; España Fil: von Fragstein und Niemsdorff, Peter. University of Kassel; Alemania Fil: Vogtmann, Hartmut. University of Kassel; Alemania Fil: Schröder, Winfried. University of Vechta; Alemania Fil: Wägele, J. Wolfgang. Leibniz Institute of Animal Biodiversity Research; Alemania Fil: Kratz, Werner Rudolf. Universität zu Berlin; Alemania Fil: Bamberger, Axel. Ceres International Project; Portugal Fil: Cebotari, Valentina. Academy of Sciences of Moldova; Moldavia Fil: Bohlen, Patrick J.. University of Central Florida; Estados Unidos Fil: Gordon, Rachel. Fil: Wyckhuys, Kris. Independent Research Entomologist; Vietnam Fil: Amrine, James Wesley. West Virginia University; Estados Unidos Fil: Cornelisse, Tara. Canisius College; Estados Unidos Fil: Marquez, Emily. Pesticide Action Network North America; Estados Unidos Fil: Miles, Albie. University of Hawaii at Manoa; Estados Unidos Fil: Novotny, Eva. University of Cambridge; Estados Unidos Fil: Hayden, Nancy. University of Vermont; Estados Unidos Fil: Müller, Eduard. University for International Cooperation; Costa Rica Fil: Boulton, April. Hood College; Estados Unidos Fil: Wilson, Allison K.. The Bioscience Resource Project; Fil: Abernathy, Rella. Planning, Housing and Sustainability Department; Estados Unidos Fil: Callahan, Richard A.. Advanced Hardware Architectures; Estados Unidos Fil: Verzeñassi, Damian. Universidad Nacional de Rosario; Argentina Fil: Doebel, Hartmut. The George Washington University; Estados Unidos Fil: Garcia-Gonzalez, Jaime-E.. Universidad Estatal a Distancia; Costa Rica Fil: Graham, Charles Edward. University of the Highlands and Islands; Reino Unido Fil: dos Santos, Charles Fernando. Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil Fil: Rodriguez-Cervantes, Silvia. Universidad de Costa Rica; Costa Rica Fil: Marino, Damian Jose Gabriel. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: DiBartolomeis, Michael J.. Toxicology Research International; Estados Unidos Fil: Hughes, Bill. University of Sussex; Reino Unido Fil: Måren, Inger Elisabeth. University of Bergen; Noruega Fil: Lovett, Peter. Form International; Países Bajos Fil: Yates, Barry. Sussex Wildlife Trust; Reino Unido Fil: Mineau, Pierre. Carleton University; Canadá Fil: Alton, Karin. University of Sussex; Reino Unido Fil: Collins, Terrence J.. University of Carnegie Mellon; Estados Unidos Fil: Heller, Richard Scott. Fil: Dentan, Robert Knox. State University of New York at Buffalo; Estados Unidos Fil: Regal, Philip J.. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos Fil: Raptis, Leda. Queens University; Canadá Fil: Wright, Angela J.. Compassion in World Farming; España Fil: Clark, E. Ann. University of Guelph; Canadá Fil: Verecken, Nicolas J.. Université Libre de Bruxelles; Bélgica Fil: Watts, Meriel. Fil: Almeida Sousa, Ana Catarina. Centro Nacional de Investigación Científica; Francia Fil: Fyfe, Lorna. Queen Margaret University; Reino Unido Fil: Siddique, Ilyas. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; Brasil Fil: Blum, Astrid Juliette. Ceres International Project; Portugal Fil: Hambrey, John. Hambrey Consulting; Canadá Fil: Safer, Anton. University of Heidelberg; Alemania Fil: Olarieta, José Ramón. Universidad de Lleida; España Fil: Beckwith, Robaire. University of Cambridge; Estados Unidos Fil: Perret-Clermont, Anne-Nelly. Universite de Neuchatel; Suiza Fil: Krogmann, Lars. Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History; Alemania Fil: de Vere, Natasha. National Botanic Garden of Wales; Reino Unido Fil: Seidler, Ramon. United State Environmental Protection Agency; Estados Unidos Fil: Fagan, John. Maharishi University of Management; Estados Unidos Fil: Lambeets, Kevin. Natuurpunt Beheer; Bélgica Fil: Gordon, Frankie. University of California at Berkeley; Estados Unidos Fil: Smith, Janet E.. University of Alberta; Canadá Fil: Seneff, Stephanie. Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Vandame, Rémy. El Colegio de la Frontera Sur; México Fil: Hornig, Mady. Columbia University; Estados Unidos Fil: Davis, Chandler. University of Toronto; Canadá Fil: Anderson, Molly D.. Middlebury College; Estados Unidos Fil: Kenan, William R.. Middlebury College; Estados Unidos Fil: Latham, Jonathan. The Bioscience Resource Project; Fil: Weiss, Will. Valencia College; Estados Unidos Fil: Knapp, Jennifer. University of Bristol; Reino Unido Fil: Enríquez, Eunice. San Carlos University of Guatemala; Guatemala Fil: Raucq, Philippe. WPConsulting; México Fil: Porter, Siobhán. Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute; Reino Unido Fil: Kelly, Ruth. Trinity College Dublin; Reino Unido Fil: Hegland, Stein Joar. Western Norway University of Applied Sciences; Noruega Fil: Reynolds, James H.. Brevard College; Estados Unidos Fil: Worthington, Andrea. Siena College; Estados Unidos Fil: Petersson, Wilhelm. Fil: Rees, Alan. University of Exeter; Reino Unido Fil: Kozuharova, Ekaterina. Medical University Of Sofia; Bulgaria Fil: Gibbons, David W.. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; Reino Unido Fil: Lucero, Raymundo M.. University of the Philippines; Filipinas Fil: Oruç, Hasan Hüseyin. University of Uludag; Turquía Fil: Riede, Klaus. Global Register Of Migratory Species; Fil: Hendrickson, O.. Biodiversity Conservancy International; Canadá Fil: Sultan, Pr. Charles. University Hospital of Montpellier; Alemania Fil: Safer, Anton. University of Heidelberg; Alemania Fil: Downs, Craig A.. Haereticus Environmental Laboratory; Estados Unidos Fil: Hoppe, Peter P.. University of Nairobi; Kenia Fil: Tapparo, Andrea. Università di Padova; Italia Fil: Belzunces, Luc. Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique; Francia Fil: Janairo, Jose Isagani B.. De La Salle University; Filipinas Fil: Chen, Yun-Ru. National Taiwan University; China Fil: van Lexmond, Maarten F.I.J. Bijleveld. Chairman Task Force On Systemic Pesticides; Fil: Cave, Ronald D.. University of Florida; Estados Unidos Fil: Michaud, J.P.. Kansas State University; Estados Unidos Fil: Weissling, Thomas J.. University of Nebraska; Estados Unidos Fil: Ratcliffe, Brett. University of Nebraska; Estados Unidos Fil: Woodcock, Ben. Centre for Ecology & Hydrology; Reino Unido Fil: Ellis, Marion. University of Nebraska; Estados Unidos Fil: Kiljanek, Tomasz. National Veterinary Research Institute; Polonia Fil: Buckley, Lizette. University of Nebraska; Estados Unidos Fil: Garrigue, Claire. Inland Revenue Department; Nueva Zelanda Fil: González-Ortega, Emmanuel. National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change; Suiza Fil: Noymer, Andrew. University of California at Irvine; Estados Unidos Fil: Mesnage, Robin. King's College; Reino Unido Fil: Reumer, Jelle. Utrecht University; Países Bajos Fil: Whitehorn, Penelope. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology; Alemania Fil: Donley, Nathan. Center for Biological Diversity. Environmental Health Program; Estados Unidos Fil: Strange, Philip. University of Reading; Reino Unido Fil: Duncan, Elizabeth. University of Leeds; Reino Unido Fil: Warren, Martin. Butterfly Conservation Europe; Países Bajos Fil: Tennekes, Henk A.. Experimental Toxicology Services; Países Bajos Fil: Krischik, Vera. University of Minnesota; Estados Unidos Fil: Brandt, Annely. Bee Institute Kirchhain; Alemania Fil: Manclus, Juan J.. Universidad Politécnica de Valencia; España Fil: Pavlaki, Maria. University of Aveiro; Portugal Fil: Bartomeus, Ignasi. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Estación Biológica de Doñana; España Fil: Pettigrove, Vincent. University of Melbourne; Australia Fil: van der Sluijs, Jeroen P.. University of Bergen; Noruega. University of Utrecht; Países Bajos Fil: Aebi, Alexandre. Universite de Neuchatel; Suiza Fil: López, Javier Hernández. University of Graz; Australia Fil: Mitchell, Edward A. D.. Universite de Neuchatel; Suiza Fil: Bushmann, Sara L.. George Stevens Academy; Estados Unidos Fil: Tison, Léa. Freie Universität Berlin; Alemania Fil: Kegley, Susan E.. Pesticide Research Institute; Estados Unidos Fil: Nugegoda, Dayanthi. University of Melbourne; Australia Fil: Morrissey, Christy. University of Saskatchewan; Canadá Fil: Lima, Maria Augusta. Universidad Federal de Viçosa; Brasil Fil: Morton, Eugene S.. National Zoological Park; India Fil: Porrini, Claudio. Universidad de Bologna; Italia Fil: Daza Millone, Maria Antonieta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas; Argentina Fil: Baer, Boris. University of California; Estados Unidos Fil: Codling, Garry. Masaryk University; República Checa Fil: Lu, Chensheng. Chan School of Public Health; Estados Unidos Fil: Marrero, Hugo Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; Argentina Fil: Teixeira, Erica Weinstein. Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios; Brasil Fil: Schneider, Marcela Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores; Argentina Fil: Kent, Clement F.. York University; Canadá Fil: Monaghan, Kieran. Universidade de Aveiro; Portugal Fil: Sadd, Ben. Illinois State University; Estados Unidos Fil: Li, Hongliang. China Jiliang University; China Fil: Zaccagnini, María Elena. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Buenos Aires; Argentina Fil: Delaplane, Keith S.. University of Georgia; Estados Unidos Fil: Fellow, Walter B. Hill. University of Georgia; Estados Unidos Fil: Brodeur, Celine Marie Julie. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Al Naggar, Yahya. Tanta University; Egipto Fil: Rosa-Fontana, Annelise. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil Fil: Pestana, João Luis Teixeira. University of Aveiro; Portugal Fil: Tooker, John F.. Penn State University; Estados Unidos Fil: Menzel, Randolf. Freie Universität Berlin; Alemania Fil: Zimmermann, Jesko. The University of Dublin; Irlanda Fil: Botías, Cristina. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; España Fil: Montoya-Baides, Angel. Universidad Politécnica de Valencia; España Fil: Beaurepaire, Alexis. Inra Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur; Francia Fil: Varó, Inmaculada. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; España Fil: Connolly, Christopher N.. Centre for Environmental Change & Human Resilience; Reino Unido Fil: Ollerton, Jeff. University of Northampton; Reino Unido Fil: Sanchez-Bayo, Francisco. The University Of Sydney; Australia Fil: Marchand, Patrice. l'Institut de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation biologiques; Francia Fil: Giorio, Chiara. Università di Padova; Italia Fil: Jean-Marc, Bonmatin. Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire; Francia Fil: Yang, En-Cheng. National Taiwan University; China Fil: Nicholls, Elizabeth. University of Sussex; Reino Unido Fil: Callaghan, Carolyn. Canadian Wildlife Federation; Canadá Fil: Kerr, Jeremy. University of Ottawa; Canadá Fil: Goulson, D.. University of Sussex; Reino Unido

Environmental DNA surveys are used for screening eukaryotic diversity. However, it is unclear how quantitative this approach is and to what extent results from environmental DNA studies can be used for ecological studies requiring quantitative data. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (COI) is used for species-level taxonomic studies of testate amoebae and should allow assessing the community composition from environmental samples, thus bypassing biases due to morphological identification. We tested this using a COI clone library approach and focusing on the Nebela collaris complex. Comparisons with direct microscopy counts showed that the COI clone library diversity data matched the morphologically identified taxa, and that community com-position estimates using the two approaches were similar. However, this correlation was improved when microscopy counts were corrected for biovolume. Higher correlation with biovolume-corrected community data suggests that COI clone library data matches the ratio of mitochondria and that within closely-related taxa the density of mitochondria per unit biovolume is approximately constant. Further developments of this metabarcoding approach including quantifying the mitochondrial density among closely-related taxa, experiments on other taxonomic groups and using high throughput sequencing should make if possible to quantitatively estimate community composition of different groups, which would be invaluable for microbial food webs studies.

L’analyse de quelques échantillons de mousses poussant sur le mur d'enceinte du château de Neuchâtel a révélé la présence de 23 taxons de thécamoebiens : dont 10 Euglyphides et 13 Arcellinides sur un total de 117 espèces recensées au total, tous groupes taxonomiques confondus. Ce total de 23 taxons est sans doute une sous-estimation compte-tenu des découvertes récentes d’une diversité inconnue d’espèces et taxons de rangs supérieurs au sein des différents groupes de protistes, y compris chez les thécamoebiens. Ces résultats illustrent le potentiel de découverte d’une diversité méconnue dans le monde microbien, même dans des régions où la diversité des organismes vivants a été bien étudiée depuis des siècles. The analysis of a few moss samples collected on the walls of the castle of Neuchâtel has revealed the presence of 23 taxa of testate amoebae, among which 10 Euglyphids and 13 Arcellinids, out of an overall total of 117 observed taxa, for all taxonomic groups. As hitherto unknown species and higher taxa are continuously being discovered within the various groups of protists including testate amoebae, this total of 23 taxa is most likely an underestimation. These results illustrate the potential for discovery of a poorly known diversity within the microbial world, including in regions where the diversity of living organisms has been well studied for centuries.

River restoration can enhance river dynamics, environmental heterogeneity and biodiversity, but the underlying processes governing the dynamic changes need to be understood to ensure that restoration projects meet their goals, and adverse effects are prevented. In particular, we need to comprehend how hydromorphological variability quantitatively relates to ecosystem functioning and services, biodiversity as well as ground- and surface water quality in restored river corridors. This involves (i) physical processes and structural properties, determining erosion and sedimentation, as well as solute and heat transport behavior in surface water and within the subsurface; (ii) biogeochemical processes and characteristics, including the turnover of nutrients and natural water constituents; and (iii) ecological processes and indicators related to biodiversity and ecological functioning. All these aspects are interlinked, requiring an interdisciplinary investigation approach. Here, we present an overview of the recently completed RECORD (REstored CORridor Dynamics) project in which we combined physical, chemical, and biological observations with modeling at a restored river corridor of the perialpine Thur River in Switzerland. Our results show that river restoration, beyond inducing morphologic changes that reshape the river bed and banks, triggered complex spatial patterns of bank infiltration, and affected habitat type, biotic communities and biogeochemical processes. We adopted an interdisciplinary approach of monitoring the continuing changes due to restoration measures to address the following questions: How stable is the morphological variability established by restoration? Does morphological variability guarantee an improvement in biodiversity? How does morphological variability affect biogeochemical transformations in the river corridor? What are some potential adverse effects of river restoration? How is river restoration influenced by catchment-scale hydraulics and which feedbacks exist on the large scale? Beyond summarizing the major results of individual studies within the project, we show that these overarching questions could only be addressed in an interdisciplinary framework., Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 18 (6), ISSN:1027-5606, ISSN:1607-7938

Due to their spatial complexity and dynamic nature, floodplains provide a wide range of ecosystem functions. However, because of flow regulation, many riverine floodplains have lost their characteristic heterogeneity. Restoration of floodplain habitats and the rehabilitation of key ecosystem functions, many of them linked to organic carbon (C) dynamics in riparian soils, has therefore become a major goal of environmental policy. The fundamental understanding of the factors that drive the processes involved in C cycling in heterogeneous and dynamic systems such as floodplains is however only fragmentary. We quantified soil organic C pools (microbial C and water extractable organic C) and fluxes (soil respiration and net methane production) in functional process zones of adjacent channelized and widened sections of the Thur River, NE Switzerland, on a seasonal basis. The objective was to assess how spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability of these pools and fluxes relate to physicochemical soil properties on one hand, and to soil environmental conditions and flood disturbance on the other hand. Overall, factors related to seasonality and flooding (temperature, water content, organic matter input) affected soil C dynamics more than soil properties did. Coarse-textured soils on gravel bars in the restored section were characterized by low base-levels of organic C pools due to low TOC contents. However, frequent disturbance by flood pulses led to high heterogeneity with temporarily and locally increased C pools and soil respiration. By contrast, in stable riparian forests, the finer texture of the soils and corresponding higher TOC contents and water retention capacity led to high base-levels of C pools. Spatial heterogeneity was low, but major floods and seasonal differences in temperature had additional impacts on both pools and fluxes. Soil properties and base levels of C pools in the dam foreland of the channelized section were similar to the gravel bars of the restored section. By contrast, spatial heterogeneity, seasonal effects and flood disturbance were similar to the forests, except for indications of high CH4 production that are explained by long travel times of infiltrating water favoring reducing conditions. Overall, the restored section exhibited both a larger range and a higher heterogeneity of organic C pools and fluxes as well as a higher plant biodiversity than the channelized section. This suggests that restoration has indeed led to an increase in functional diversity., Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 15 (6), ISSN:1027-5606, ISSN:1607-7938