Structure and dynamics of ciliated protozoa communities (Protozoa: Ciliophora) in a mountain stream in the high Tatra Mts, Slovakia

In the years 1996-1997 we observed the structure and dynamics of ciliated protozoa (Ciliophora) in a mountain stream, which is situated in a subalpine area at an altitude of 1480 m. Samples were taken monthly, four substrata were observed (rocks, fine gravel-debris, moss-fluviatile tract and moss-torrential tract). A total of 60 taxa of ciliated protozoa were identified with remarkable differences, depending on the substrata (fine gravel-debris: 34 taxa, moss-fluviatile tract: 28, moss-torrential tract: 21 and rocks: 15 taxa). Only small euryecious types Aspidisca lynceus and Cinetochilum margaritaceum were observed to be the most frequent. We noticed a high frequency (up to 90%) of the species Loxophyllum meleagris in both types of moss substrata. The abundance of ciliated protozoa was relatively low, it rarely exceeded a level of 100 n ml(-1). In all substrata we noticed a visible spring and autumn maxima of abundance with a month variation depending on substrata. The representation of food guilds refers to a progress of algivorous and omnivorous category and degrees of bactivorous types one.