Effects of chemical inhibitors on soil protozoan dynamics in a desert ecosystem

Einav Mayzlish, Yosef Steinberger

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

This field study was designed to monitor the composition, size, and dynamics of the protozoan population during the different seasons in an arid environment. The protozoan population's contribution to the ecological system was examined using chemical inhibitors. Samples were collected from the 0 to 10 and 10 to 20-cm depths from four different treatment plots: Nemacur (nematocide), Edigan (biocide), water, and control. The results obtained from the field study demonstrated that the number of protozoan individuals was affected by season and was significantly higher as spring neared. The flagellate population appeared in soil samples throughout the year, whereas the ciliate population appeared mainly during the wet seasons (winter and spring). Use of soil population inhibitors did not demonstrate any significant differences between treatments in the number of protozoan individuals in winter, summer, and autumn. During the population's proliferation in spring, a significant change between treatments occurred in population composition and size.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)415-421
Number of pages7
JournalBiology and Fertility of Soils
Volume39
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2004

Keywords

  • Desert
  • Inhibitors
  • Protozoa
  • Soil

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