Lfm. Velho et al., Spatial and temporal variation in densities of testate amoebae in the plankton of the Upper Parana River floodplain, Brazil, HYDROBIOL, 411, 1999, pp. 103-113
The occurrence and abundance of testate amoebae in the zooplankton of the f
loodplain of the Upper Parana River was studied and compared with other zoo
plankton groups. Results showed that testate amoebae were dominant zooplank
ters in littoral zones of lentic and lotic environments. Species of Arcelli
dae were most abundant, followed by Difflugidae and Centropyxidae. The infl
uence of environmental heterogeneity (lakes or river, littoral or pelagic z
ones and abiotic variables) on testate amoebae abundance was significant. A
lthough significant differences were observed between different months, the
patterns of abundance variation did not appear to be synchronously related
to hydrological cycle. The results suggest that the high abundance of test
ate amoebae in the planktonic environment of Upper Parana River floodplain
is not determined only by stochastic process (washing out from the bottom a
nd from the shoreline vegetation).