Microscopic Life In Sphagnum

As well as the better-known plants, dragonflies and birds, sphagnum moss supports a unique community of microscopic animals and plants which inhabit its leaves and crevices.

This study describes 656 species of bacteria, protists, and micro-metazoa occurring in the Simmelried, a three hectare-sized moorland near to the town of Constance, southern Germany. Each species is shown by an average of two colour micrographs. Further, the surface organization of most main groups and many ciliate species is demonstrated by scanning electron micrographs.The Simmelried formed after the last (Würm) ice-age, that is, about 15.000 years ago, when a regressing glacier tongue produced a terrain with water-filled depressions between streamlined boulder depositions. The investigations indicate that the 656 species documented represent only two thirds of the taxa actually present. Thus, a considerable diversity accumulated over 15.000 years, emphasizing the great distribution capacity of micro-organisms. On the other hand, some common species are lacking (e. g., the ciliate Colpidium colpoda, the euglenid Phacus pleuronectes, and rotifers of the genera Proales and Floscularia) and many undescribed species were discovered. While a mass of undescribed species is comprehensible in amoebas, flagellates and ciliates, which are poorly researched, this is surprising in weII-known groups, such as euglenids and chrysophytes. Thus, we must face the possibility that some of the undescribed species are regional or Iocal endemics. The high species richness, induding many undescribed species, suggests the Simmelried as a regional biodiversity centre worth to be protected by law.

This book provides a comprehensive and up to date overview of peatland ecosystems. It examines the entire range of biota present in this habitat and considers management, conservation, and restoration issues.

Bringing together the viewpoints of leading experts in taxonomy, ecology and biogeography of different taxa, this book synthesises discussion surrounding the so-called 'everything is everywhere' hypothesis. It addresses the processes that generate spatial patterns of diversity and biogeography in organisms that can potentially be cosmopolitan. The contributors discuss questions such as: are microorganisms (e.g. prokaryotes, protists, algae, yeast and microscopic fungi, plants and animals) really cosmopolitan in their distribution? What are the biological properties that allow such potential distribution? Are there processes that would limit their distribution? Are microorganisms intrinsically different from macroscopic ones? What can microorganisms tell us about the generalities of biogeography? Can they be used for experimental biogeography? Written for graduate students and academic researchers, the book promotes a more complete understanding of the spatial patterns and the general processes in biogeography.

This study looks at the fundamentals of soil science and soil biology, encompassing topics such as the building blocks of the soil system and bioremediation of contaminated soils.

Extreme macrophotography opens up a new world for photographers, particularly biologists. By photographing subjects way beyond just life size magnifications, this book takes you a step closer to the very cells that make up organisms. Written with clarity and detail, Julian Cremona's book is the perfect guide and sister title to Extreme Close-Up Photography and Focus Stacking. His enthusiasm for and knowledge of his subject makes this book an essential companion for everyone interested in photography and discovering the minutiae of the natural world. Advises on equipment and on low-cost and DIY photography solutions. Explains how to use a microscope and its potential for photographers. Instructs how to light, support and prepare a subject for best results. Covers focus stacking: how to produce composite images with incredible depth of field. Encourages experimentation and suggests ways to develop extreme close-up ideas. A superb guide to taking stunning, detailed photographs at x5 to x30 magnification and more. Captures nature as rarely seen before. Will be of great interest to photographers, biologists, naturalists, scientists and natural historians. A natural companion title to Extreme Close-Up Photography and Focus Stacking.

This unique textbook takes a broad look at the rapidly expanding field of freshwater microbiology. Concentrating on the interactions between viruses, bacteria, algae, fungi and micro-invertebrates, the book gives a wide biological appeal. Alongside conventional aspects such as phytoplankton characterisation, seasonal changes and nutrient cycles, the title focuses on the dynamic and applied aspects that are not covered within the current textbooks in the field. Complete coverage of all fresh water biota from viruses to invertebrates Unique focus on microbial interactions including coverage of biofilms, important communities on all exposed rivers and lakes. New information on molecular and microscopical techniques including a study of gene exchange between bacteria in the freshwater environment. Unique emphasis on the applied aspects of freshwater microbiology with particular emphasis on biodegradation and the causes and remediation of eutrophication and algal blooms.

'An anthology to treasure and return to' ELINOR CLEGHORN 'Uniquely compelling, dynamic and powerful' LUCY JONES 'Deeply affecting' TOM SHAKESPEARE 'Promises to change the landscape of nature writing' LIZZIE HUXLEY-JONES A first-of-its-kind anthology of nature writing by authors living with chronic illness and physical disability WITH A FOREWORD BY SAMANTHA WALTON Through twenty-five pieces, the writers of Moving Mountains offer a vision of nature that encompasses the close up, the microscopic, and the vast. From a single falling raindrop to the enormity of the north wind, this is nature experienced wholly and acutely, written from the perspective of disabled and chronically ill authors. Moving Mountains is not about overcoming or conquering, but about living with and connecting, shifting the reader's attention to the things easily overlooked by those who move through the world untroubled by the body that carries them. Contributors: Isobel Anderson, Kerri Andrews, Polly Atkin, Khairani Barokka, Victoria Bennett, Feline Charpentier, Cat Chong, Eli Clare, Dawn Cole, Lorna Crabbe, Kate Davis, Carol Donaldson, Alec Finlay, Jamie Hale, Jane Hartshorn, Hannah Hodgson, Sally Huband, Rowan Jaines, Dillon Jaxx, Louise Kenward, Abi Palmer, Louisa Adjoa Parker, Alice Tarbuck, Nic Wilson

Sphagnum specialist Dierk Michaelis documents the worldwide known peat moss species (genus Sphagnum) and presents keys for their identification. It represents the updated, supplemented English language version of the author's original peat moss flora of 2011 (in German), the first overall presentation of Sphagnum since Carl Warnstorf's "Sphagnologia Universalis" of 1911. Compared to the German edition, 12 species have been added, 23 new plates were added, the chapters on phylogeny and research history have been revised and a new chapter on Sphagnum ecology has been added. Since Warnstorf's comprehensive work, numerous names have been recognized and revised as synonyms - particularly by Andrews, Eddy and Isoviita. These revisions, and the approximately 150 new species described since then, have been incorporated into this volume, as well as the results of the author's own studies. Genetic characteristics were used to define the species of problematic groups. The peat mosses are of key ecological and economic importance among the mosses. They populate almost all continents with a clear focus on northern South America, North America, East and North Asia and Europe. The genus Sphagnum is very isolated within the Bryopsida, similarities in the construction of the sporophyte indicate a distant relation to the rockmosses (class Andreaeopsida). For the internal classification of Sphagnum there are very different approaches with up to 4 subgenera and up to 18 possible sections, of which 14 are distinguished in this volume. Peat mosses in the narrow sense (genus Sphagnum) feature a combination of leaf dimorphism (stem and branch leaves), cell dimorphism (living chlorophyll and empty hyaline cells) and branch dimorphism (strongly assimilating spreading branches and hanging branches serving the outer water supply) that is unique among mosses. Although the assignment of any peat moss to the genus Sphagnum usually does not cause any problems, the determination down to the species level causes difficulties sometimes. The author introduces and describes the anatomy and morphology of Sphagnum, and explains the reproductive biology, the research history and phylogenesis of peat mosses. The systematic part is divided into three segments: Description and identification of the sections, keys for all peat moss species, separated by continents, as well as Sphagnum species lists for 20 phytogeographic regions of the world. The keys for Africa, Europe and North America are based on existing data and were revised and supplemented with the help of recent descriptions, updated species concepts and new floristic data. Completely new keys have been developed for South America and Asia, as these did not exist pr1eviously. 292 peat moss species are described in detail, supplemented by data on habitats, geographical distribution and lists of synonyms. This section is supplemented by the presentation of the inner and outer characteristics on 219 plates. A very extensive bibliography rounds off the volume.