Factors involved in the distribution pattern of ciliates in the water column of a transparent alpine lake

Bettina Sonntag (1) , Monika Summerer (2) , Ruben Sommaruga (3)

1 Ecology
2 Ecology
3 Institute of Ecology, lab. of Plankton Ecology and Aquatic Photobiology

The recurrent depth preference of three ciliate species (two prostomatids and one haptorid) in a transparent alpine lake indicates the existence of niche partitioning among them involving potential factors such as avoidance of high UVR levels and zooplankton predation, as well as competition for food resources.

Mots clés: Life Sciences

Bettina Sonntag, Monika Summerer, Ruben Sommaruga. Factors involved in the distribution pattern of ciliates in the water column of a transparent alpine lake. Journal of Plankton Research, 2010, ⟨10.1093/plankt/FBQ117⟩. ⟨hal-00626239⟩