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Snow algae blooms are beneficial for microinvertebrates assemblages (Tardigrada and Rotifera) on seasonal snow patches in Japan
- Source :
- Scientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2021), Scientific Reports
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Nature Portfolio, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Although studies on snow algae and macroinvertebrates have been frequently conducted on snow patches, only few surveys have been focused on microinvertebrates which reach high biomass and play various trophic roles in other cold habitats. The aims of this study were (1) to search for microinvertebrates in seasonal surface snow patches located on the slope of Mt. Gassan, in northern Japan, and (2) to identify factors determining their distribution associated with snow algal blooms of various colorations (orange, green, and golden-brown) collected from the same sampling site over two seasons (2018, 2019). Microscopic observation revealed presence of two major groups of microinvertebrates: Tardigrada and Rotifera. They were concentrated in green snow colored by blooms of Chloromonas sp. in comparison to orange or golden-brown snow and only a few were found in white snow. Mean body length of tardigrades increased throughout the melt season, their intestine content was green and they laid eggs on colored snow. These results suggest that tardigrades preferentially grew and reproduced on green snow patches. Population densities of tardigrades, rotifers and concentration of chlorophyll a were significantly correlated. Our study indicates that green snow patches in temperate mountainous forests constitute important and unique low-temperature ecosystems for microinvertebrates. Snow covered by algae is an unrecognized novel habitats for tardigrades and rotifers.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
0301 basic medicine
Chlorophyll a
Ecosystem ecology
Science
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
Algal bloom
Article
Microbial ecology
03 medical and health sciences
chemistry.chemical_compound
Algae
Chloromonas
Trophic level
Invertebrate
Multidisciplinary
biology
Ecology
biology.organism_classification
Snow
030104 developmental biology
Habitat
chemistry
Environmental science
Freshwater ecology
Medicine
Forest ecology
human activities
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 20452322
- Volume :
- 11
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Scientific Reports
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....43007acc8d88c42d6b31bff382bf3aa1