Soil Protists in Tropical Systems: From Morphological Variation to Trophic Groups

Soil Protists in Tropical Systems: From Morphological Variation to Trophic Groups
Author: Garvin Schulz
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2022
Genre:
ISBN:

In the studies of this thesis, I used two different approaches to shed light on soil protist diversity and ecology in two tropical regions, the montane rainforest of Southern Ecuador and the lowland rainforest of Sumatra, Indonesia. In Chapter 1, I have used classic approaches of light and scanning electron microscopy to study the morphology of testate amoebae to delineate species and relate variability of morphological characteristics to environmental changes. I while in Chapters 2 and 3 I have used high throughput sequencing of environmental DNA to move from individual organisms to whole ...

Soil Protists

Soil Protists
Author: Stefan Geisen
Publisher: Sudwestdeutscher Verlag Fur Hochschulschriften AG
Total Pages: 328
Release: 2015-10-13
Genre:
ISBN: 9783838151571

Protists are by far the most diverse and abundant eukaryotes in soils. Nevertheless, very little is known about individual representatives, the diversity and community composition and ecological functioning of these important organisms. For instance, soil protists are commonly lumped into a single functional unit, i.e. bacterivores. This work tackles missing knowledge gaps on soil protists and common misconceptions using multi-methodological approaches including cultivation, microcosm experiments and environmental sequencing. In a first part, several new species and genera of amoeboid protists are described showing their immense unknown diversity. In the second part, the enormous complexity of soil protists communities is highlighted using cultivation- and sequence-based approaches. In the third part, the present of diverse mycophagous and nematophagous protists are shown in functional studies on cultivated taxa and their environmental importance supported by sequence-based approaches. This work is just a start for a promising future of soil Protistology that is likely to find other important roles of these diverse organisms.

Ecosystem Services, Biodiversity and Environmental Change in a Tropical Mountain Ecosystem of South Ecuador

Ecosystem Services, Biodiversity and Environmental Change in a Tropical Mountain Ecosystem of South Ecuador
Author: Jörg Bendix
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 434
Release: 2013-07-09
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3642381375

An interdisciplinary research unit consisting of 30 teams in the natural, economic and social sciences analyzed biodiversity and ecosystem services of a mountain rainforest ecosystem in the hotspot of the tropical Andes, with special reference to past, current and future environmental changes. The group assessed ecosystem services using data from ecological field and scenario-driven model experiments, and with the help of comparative field surveys of the natural forest and its anthropogenic replacement system for agriculture. The book offers insights into the impacts of environmental change on various service categories mentioned in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005): cultural, regulating, supporting and provisioning ecosystem services. Examples focus on biodiversity of plants and animals including trophic networks, and abiotic/biotic parameters such as soils, regional climate, water, nutrient and sediment cycles. The types of threats considered include land use and climate changes, as well as atmospheric fertilization. In terms of regulating and provisioning services, the emphasis is primarily on water regulation and supply as well as climate regulation and carbon sequestration. With regard to provisioning services, the synthesis of the book provides science-based recommendations for a sustainable land use portfolio including several options such as forestry, pasture management and the practices of indigenous peoples. In closing, the authors show how they integrated the local society by pursuing capacity building in compliance with the CBD-ABS (Convention on Biological Diversity - Access and Benefit Sharing), in the form of education and knowledge transfer for application.

Soil Protozoa

Soil Protozoa
Author: J. F. Darbyshire
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Total Pages: 232
Release: 1994
Genre: Science
ISBN:

Protozoa are active components of the soil microfauna. For example, they may stimulate bacterial metabolism and some fungal metabolites can lyse protozoa. They may be predators of bacteria and hence have a role in biological control. Their presence in groundwaters can be used as an indicator of pollution, while they are also being used to treat sewage in the activated-sludge and reed-bed processes. They are believed to be major secondary decomposers in soil and increased knowledge about these microorganisms is important to sustain soil fertility and food production. This book is the first in English for 65 years devoted entirely to soil protozoology. It is written by experienced microbiologists and should be of interest to protozoologists, other microbiologists, and soil scientists.

Soil Fauna Assemblages

Soil Fauna Assemblages
Author: Uffe N. Nielsen
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 381
Release: 2019-03-28
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1107191483

A holistic overview of soil fauna, their contributions to ecosystem function, and implications of global change belowground.

Rhizotrophs: Plant Growth Promotion to Bioremediation

Rhizotrophs: Plant Growth Promotion to Bioremediation
Author: Samina Mehnaz
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2017-07-31
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9811048622

This book describes the contributions of rhizotrophs – microbes associated with the parts of plants below ground – in sustainable agriculture. It covers a broad range of aspects, from plant growth promotion to bioremediation. It highlights the role of bacteria, actinomycetes, mycorrhizal fungi, and most interestingly protists, in the sustainability of agriculture. Further, it addresses in detail the involvement of quorum sensing signals, and the role of hydrolytic enzymes and bacteriocin in combating the phytopathogen. The book sheds light on the interaction of rhizotrophs in rhizosphere and how these microbes support plants growing under adverse stress conditions such as saline, drought or heavy-metals contamination. Challenges faced in the field application of these microbes, strategies for modifying the rhizosphere to improve crop yield, and the latest advances in rhizobial bioformulations are also discussed. Overall, the book provides comprehensive information on how various microbes can be used to improve the sustainability of agriculture without disturbing the environment.

Forest and Rangeland Soils of the United States Under Changing Conditions

Forest and Rangeland Soils of the United States Under Changing Conditions
Author: Richard V. Pouyat
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2020-09-02
Genre: Science
ISBN: 3030452166

This open access book synthesizes leading-edge science and management information about forest and rangeland soils of the United States. It offers ways to better understand changing conditions and their impacts on soils, and explores directions that positively affect the future of forest and rangeland soil health. This book outlines soil processes and identifies the research needed to manage forest and rangeland soils in the United States. Chapters give an overview of the state of forest and rangeland soils research in the Nation, including multi-decadal programs (chapter 1), then summarizes various human-caused and natural impacts and their effects on soil carbon, hydrology, biogeochemistry, and biological diversity (chapters 2–5). Other chapters look at the effects of changing conditions on forest soils in wetland and urban settings (chapters 6–7). Impacts include: climate change, severe wildfires, invasive species, pests and diseases, pollution, and land use change. Chapter 8 considers approaches to maintaining or regaining forest and rangeland soil health in the face of these varied impacts. Mapping, monitoring, and data sharing are discussed in chapter 9 as ways to leverage scientific and human resources to address soil health at scales from the landscape to the individual parcel (monitoring networks, data sharing Web sites, and educational soils-centered programs are tabulated in appendix B). Chapter 10 highlights opportunities for deepening our understanding of soils and for sustaining long-term ecosystem health and appendix C summarizes research needs. Nine regional summaries (appendix A) offer a more detailed look at forest and rangeland soils in the United States and its Affiliates.

The Biology of Soil

The Biology of Soil
Author: Richard D. Bardgett
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 264
Release: 2005-06-02
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9780198525028

Soil science has undergone a renaissance with increasing awareness of the importance of soil organisms and below-ground biotic interactions as drivers of community and ecosystem properties.

Biological Approaches to Sustainable Soil Systems

Biological Approaches to Sustainable Soil Systems
Author: Norman Uphoff
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 785
Release: 2006-03-03
Genre: Science
ISBN: 142001711X

Global agriculture is now at the crossroads. The Green Revolution of the last century is losing momentum. Rates of growth in food production are now declining, with land and water resources becoming scarcer, while world population continues to grow. We need to continue to identify and share the knowledge that will support successful and sustainable

Modern Soil Microbiology, Second Edition

Modern Soil Microbiology, Second Edition
Author: Jan Dirk van Elsas
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 704
Release: 2006-12-21
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9780824727499

In the ten years since the publication of Modern Soil Microbiology, the study of soil microbiology has significantly changed, both in the understanding of the diversity and function of soil microbial communities and in research methods. Ideal for students in a variety of disciplines, this second edition provides a cutting-edge examination of a fascinating discipline that encompasses ecology, physiology, genetics, molecular biology, and biotechnology, and makes use of biochemical and biophysical approaches. The chapters cover topics ranging from the fundamental to the applied and describe the use of advanced methods that have provided a great thrust to the discipline of soil microbiology. Using the latest molecular analyses, they integrate principles of soil microbiology with novel insights into the physiology of soil microorganisms. The authors discuss the soil and rhizosphere as habitats for microorganisms, then go on to describe the different microbial groups, their adaptive responses, and their respective processes in interactive and functional terms. The book highlights a range of applied aspects of soil microbiology, including the nature of disease-suppressive soils, the use of biological control agents, biopesticides and bioremediation agents, and the need for correct statistics and experimentation in the analyses of the data obtained from soil systems.