Biodiversity of testate amoebae in Sphagnum bogs: the dataset from forest-steppe ecotone (Middle Volga Territory, Russia)

Nailia Saldaeva; Kirill Babeshko; Viktor Chernyshov; Anton Esaulov; Alexander Komarov; Nikita Kriuchkov; Natalia Mazei; Damir Saldaev; Tamara Stojko; Andrey Tsyganov; Yuri Mazei

doi:10.3897/BDJ.12.e125582

Biodiversity Data Journal : Data Paper (Biosciences)

PDF

Data Paper (Biosciences)

Biodiversity of testate amoebae in Sphagnum bogs: the dataset from forest-steppe ecotone (Middle Volga Territory, Russia)

Nailia M. Saldaeva^‡,§, Kirill V. Babeshko^‡,§, Viktor A. Chernyshov^|, Anton S. Esaulov^‡,|, Alexander A. Komarov^|, Nikita R. Kriuchkov^‡,§, Natalia G. Mazei^§, Damir A. Saldaev^‡, Tamara G. Stojko^|, Andrey N. Tsyganov^§, Yuri A. Mazei^§,‡

‡ Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen, China

§ Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

| Penza State University, Penza, Russia

Corresponding author: Kirill V. Babeshko (fytark@yandex.ru)

Academic editor: Fedor Konstantinov

Received: 17 Apr 2024 | Accepted: 24 May 2024 | Published: 12 Jun 2024

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Citation: Saldaeva NM, Babeshko KV, Chernyshov VA, Esaulov AS, Komarov AA, Kriuchkov NR, Mazei NG, Saldaev DA, Stojko TG, Tsyganov AN, Mazei YA (2024) Biodiversity of testate amoebae in Sphagnum bogs: the dataset from forest-steppe ecotone (Middle Volga Territory, Russia). Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e125582. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e125582

Abstract

Background

Testate amoebae are a polyphyletic group of unicellular eukaryotic organisms that are characterised by a rigid shell and inhabit mostly freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. They are particularly abundant in peatlands, especially in Sphagnum-dominated biotopes. Peatland hydrology is the most important influence on testate amoebae communities. The good preservation of the shells in peat deposits and their response to hydrological regime changes are the principles for palaeohydrological reconstructions. Any changes in the water balance of mires should be expected to have far-reaching effects on biogeochemical cycles, productivity, carbon dioxide and methane exchange.

New information

This paper presents a dataset (Darwin Core Archive – DwC-A) on the distribution of Sphagnum-dwelling testate amoebae in nine mires located in the forest-steppe subzone of the East European Plane. The dataset includes information about 86 taxa belonging to 29 genera and contains 3,123 occurrences of 49,874 individuals. The following environmental variables are provided: microtopography, oxidising and reducing potential, total mineralisation, substrate temperature, acidity, substrate wetness and water table depth. These data might be used for biogeographical and palaeoecological studies, including quantitative reconstructions.

Keywords

the Volga Upland, peatlands, Arcellinida, Rhizaria

Introduction

Testate amoebae are eukaryotic unicellular organisms that are enclosed in a rigid cover called a shell or a test. The shell has one or two openings (pseudostome) through which filose or lobose pseudopodia protrude during locomotion and feeding (Cavalier-Smith 2004). It is a polyphyletic group within Supergroup Amoebozoa (Adl et al. 2019) related to Phylum Tubulinea (Smirnov et al. 2005) and Supergroup Sar related to Phylum Stramenopiles (Adl et al. 2005) and(?) Rhizaria (Cavalier-Smith 2004). Testate amoebae are particularly abundant in peatlands, where they can constitute up to 50% of microbial biomass (Gilbert and Mitchell 2006). Thus, studying the biodiversity of these organisms provides an important contribution to understanding the structure and functional role of microbial communities.

Testate amoebae are widely used in bioindication (Payne 2007) of water table depth and surface moisture in mires (Zheng et al. 2019, Krashevska et al. 2020, Swindles et al. 2020, Qin et al. 2021b, Šímová et al. 2022), organic matter content (Laggoun‐Défarge et al. 2007, Escobar et al. 2008, Daza et al. 2020), macronutrients (Wilkinson and Mitchell 2010, Patterson et al. 2012a), acidity (Payne 2009, Lamentowicz et al. 2011, Patterson et al. 2012b, Siver et al. 2020, Sim et al. 2021), metal ions concentration (Nguyen-Viet et al. 2006, Asada and Warner 2009, Cockburn et al. 2020) in aquatic environments, ecosystem restoration (Carballeira and Pontevedra-Pombal 2021, Qin et al. 2021a, Evans et al. 2023, Creevy et al. 2023) etc. Testate amoebae are successfully applied in quantitative reconstructions of hydrological regimes (Lamentowicz et al. 2017, Tsyganov et al. 2017, Swindles et al. 2019, Zhang et al. 2022), serving as a valuable proxy.

The growing number of available resources on these microorganisms allows for solving large-scale issues of biogeography and problems of flagship, endemic and eurybiotic species (Foissner 2006). The dataset presented in this paper represents the results of five years of investigations on testate amoebae in Sphagnum-dominated bogs of its southern boundary distribution in the forest-steppe ecotone (Tsyganov and Mazei 2007, Mazei and Tsyganov 2007a, Mazei and Tsyganov 2007b, Mazei et al. 2007a, Mazei et al. 2007b, Mazei and Bubnova 2007, Mazei and Bubnova 2008, Mazei and Bubnova 2009, Mazei et al. 2009, Tsyganov et al. 2016).

General description

Project description

Design description:

The description of each observation in the dataset is based on terms used in the general Darwin Core vocabulary. In the dataset, each observation includes basic information on the location (latitude and longitude), date of observation, name of the observer and number of counted individuals. The coordinates were determined in situ using a GPS device. For mire ecosystems, sampling locations contain information on microtopography (hummocks, lawns, hollows or not available), oxidising and reducing potential (redox), total mineralisation (tds), substrate temperature, acidity (pH), substrate wetness and mire water table depth (WTD) (Table 3).

Table 1.

Download as

CSV

XLSX

Species diversity of testate amoeba families in the dataset.

Families	Number of genera	Number of taxa	Number of occu r rences
Amphitremidae Poche, 1913	1	1	109
Arcellidae Ehrenberg, 1843	2	18	442
Assulinidae Lara et al., 2007	2	4	460
Centropyxidae Jung, 1942	2	7	244
Cryptodifflugiidae Jung, 1942	1	1	12
Difflugiidae Wallich, 1864	1	11	139
Euglyphidae Wallich, 1864, emend. Lara et al., 2007	2	11	398
Heleoperidae Jung, 1942	1	3	172
Hyalospheniidae Schultze, 1877 emend. Kosakyan and Lara, 2012	4	6	598
Incertae sedis (Class: Tubulinea)	3	4	188
Lesquereusiidae Jung, 1942	1	3	9
Microchlamyiidae Ogden, 1985, emend. Kudryavtsev et Hausmann, 2007	1	1	3
Netzeliidae Kosakyan et al., 2016, emend. Gonzales-Miguens et al., 2021	2	6	82
Phryganellidae Jung, 1942	1	2	148
Pseudodifflugiidae De Saedeleer, 1934	1	1	1
Sphenoderiidae Chatelain et al., 2013	2	3	11
Trinematidae Hoogenraad & De Groot, 1940, emend Adl et al., 2012	2	4	107
Total	29	86	3123

Table 2.

Download as

CSV

XLSX

Relative abundance (% to the total counts) and occurrences (samples) of testate amoebae forest-steppe ecotone (Middle Volga Territory, Russia). Species names are listed in the alphabetical order.

№	Species name	Abundance	Occurrence
1	Alabasta militaris (Penard, 1890) Duckert, Blandenier, Kosakyan et Singer 2018	0.50	57
2	Arcella conica Playfair, 1918	0.09	11
3	Arcella gibbosa Penard, 1890	0.35	20
4	Arcella hemisphaerica Perty, 1852	0.29	18
5	Arcella intermedia (Deflandre, 1928) Tsyganov et Mazei, 2006	0.81	39
6	Arcella mitrata Leidy, 1876	0.16	17
7	Arcella rotundata Playfair, 1918	0.40	25
8	Arcella vulgaris Ehrenberg, 1830	0.27	19
9	Arcella vulgaris penardi Deflandre, 1928	0.00	1
10	Arcella vulgaris polymorpha Deflandre, 1928	0.97	9
11	Arcella vulgaris undulata Deflandre, 1928	0.00	1
12	Archerella flavum (Archer, 1877) Loeblich et Tappan, 1961	2.07	109
13	Argynnia dentistoma Penard, 1890	0.01	1
14	Assulina muscorum Greeff, 1888	11.92	281
15	Assulina seminulum Ehrenberg, 1848	4.90	176
16	Bullinularia indica (Penard, 1907) Deflandre, 1953	0.52	56
17	Centropyxis aculeata (Ehrenberg, 1838) Stein, 1859	1.95	103
18	Centropyxis aerophila Deflandre, 1929	0.57	30
19	Centropyxis aerophila sphangicola Deflandre, 1929	0.79	45
20	Centropyxis constricta (Ehrenberg, 1841) Penard, 1890	0.00	3
21	Centropyxis ecornis (Ehrenberg, 1841) Leidy, 1879	0.01	4
22	Centropyxis spinosa Cash, 1905	0.15	3
23	Corythion dubium Taranek, 1871	0.53	31
24	Cryptodifflugia compressa Penard,1902	0.81	12
25	Cyclopyxis aplanata microstoma Schönborn, 1966	0.00	1
26	Cyclopyxis arcelloides (Penard, 1902) Deflandre, 1929	0.22	11
27	Cyclopyxis eurystoma Deflandre, 1929	0.93	49
28	Cyclopyxis kahli (Deflandre, 1929)	0.07	8
29	Difflugia bacillifera Penard, 1890	0.00	1
30	Difflugia brevicolla Cash et Hopkinson, 1909	0.00	1
31	Difflugia glans Penard, 1902	0.05	6
32	Difflugia globulosa Dujardin, 1837	0.68	26
33	Difflugia juzephiniensis Dekhtyar, 1993	0.46	27
34	Difflugia oblonga Ehrenberg, 1838	0.01	3
35	Difflugia parva (Thomas, 1954) Ogden, 1983	1.12	51
36	Difflugia pristis Penard, 1902	0.24	8
37	Difflugia pulex Penard, 1890	0.16	12
38	Difflugia pyriformis Perty, 1849	0.01	2
39	Difflugia urceolata Carter, 1864	0.01	2
40	Euglypha acanthophora Ehrenberg, 1841	0.01	3
41	Euglypha ciliata Ehrenberg, 1848	3.87	173
42	Euglypha ciliata glabra Wailes, 1915	0.94	49
43	Euglypha cristata Leidy, 1874	0.03	9
44	Euglypha cristata decora Jung, 1942	0.02	4
45	Euglypha laevis Ehrenberg, 1845	2.52	131
46	Euglypha strigosa (Ehrenberg, 1848) Leidy, 1878	0.15	11
47	Euglypha strigosa glabra Wailes, 1898	0.01	1
48	Euglypha strigosa heterospina Wailes, 1912	0.11	4
49	Euglypha tuberculata Dujardin, 1841	0.05	12
50	Galeripora arenaria (Greeff, 1866) González-Miguéns et al., 2021	7.28	127
51	Galeripora arenaria compressa (Chardez, 1957) González-Miguéns et al., 2021	0.06	5
52	Galeripora arenaria sphagnicola (Deflandre, 1928) González-Miguéns et al., 2021	0.07	8
53	Galeripora artocrea (Leidy, 1876) González-Miguéns et al., 2021	0.41	58
54	Galeripora catinus (Penard, 1890) González-Miguéns et al., 2021	2.36	60
55	Galeripora discoides (Ehrenberg, 1871) González-Miguéns et al., 2021	0.21	20
56	Galeripora megastoma (Penard, 1902) González-Miguéns et al., 2021	0.01	1
57	Galeripora polypora undulata (Decloitre, 1976) González-Miguéns et al., 2021	0.01	3
58	Gibbocarina galeata (Penard, 1890) Kosakyan et al., 2016	0.09	4
59	Heleopera petricola Leidy, 1879	1.09	36
60	Heleopera sphagni Leidy, 1874	6.83	124
61	Heleopera sylvatica Penard, 1890	0.07	12
62	Hyalosphenia elegans Leidy, 1874	5.71	136
63	Hyalosphenia papilio Leidy, 1874	11.74	185
64	Lesquereusia epistomium Penard, 1902	0.04	4
65	Lesquereusia inequalis Cash et Hopkinson, 1909	0.00	1
66	Lesquereusia spiralis Ehrenberg, 1840	0.02	4
67	Microchlamys patella (Claparède et Lachmann, 1859) Cockerell, 1911	0.12	3
68	Nebela collaris (Ehrenberg, 1848) sensu Kosakyan et Gomaa, 2013	0.46	30
69	Nebela tincta (Leidy, 1879) Awerintzew, 1906	7.00	186
70	Netzelia oviformis (Cash, 1909) Ogden, 1979	0.02	3
71	Netzelia tuberculata Wallich, 1864	0.10	10
72	Phryganella acropodia (Hertwig et Lesser, 1874) Hopkinson, 1909	0.32	30
73	Phryganella hemisphaerica Penard, 1902	6.74	118
74	Physochila tenella (Penard, 1893) Jung, 1942	7.49	130
75	Placocista glabra Penard, 1905	0.00	2
76	Placocista lens Penard, 1899	0.00	1
77	Pseudodifflugia gracilis Schlumberger, 1845	0.01	1
78	Scutiglypha scutigera (Penard, 1911) Foissner et Schiller, 2001	0.01	1
79	Sphenoderia fissirostris Penard, 1890	0.02	4
80	Sphenoderia lenta Schlumberger, 1845	0.03	3
81	Tracheleuglypha dentata (Vejdovsky, 1882) Deflandre, 1928	0.03	4
82	Trigonopyxis arcula Penard, 1912	0.44	46
83	Trigonopyxis minuta Schönborn et Peschke, 1988	0.21	11
84	Trinema complanatum Penard, 1890	0.18	15
85	Trinema enchelys Ehrenberg, 1838	0.48	28
86	Trinema lineare Penard, 1890	0.59	33

Table 3.

Download as

CSV

XLSX

Environmental variables represented in the dataset.

Environmental variable	Measurement unit	Values range
oxidising and reducing potential (redox)	mkSim/cm	-(103)–290
total mineralisation (tds)	mg/dm³	19–94
substrate temperature	°C	13–28
acidity (pH)	pH value	3.4–5.6
substrate wetness	%	90.1–99.51
water table depth (WTD)	cm	0–35

Sampling methods

Sampling description:

Samples were generally collected in the biotopes dominated by Sphagnum spp. mosses and less frequently by Polytrichum spp. The sampling strategy tried to cover all the diversity of the microtopography of the mires (hummocks, lawns and hollows). Mosses were carefully extracted from the moss carpet and cut into layers according to the vertical zonation of peat soils: first from 0 to 15 cm by a 3 cm step and then the rest of the entire part of the dead mosses (Dobrovol’skii et al. 1998). After that, samples were placed in plastic containers and fixed with a formaldehyde solution in situ to avoid major post-sampling changes in the community structure (Mazei et al. 2015). Additional samples were taken for moisture content measurements. Water table depth (cm) was measured at each sampling point in a hole in relation to water on the surface of the moss cover after at least 30 minutes. Oxidising and reducing potential, total mineralisation, substrate temperature and pH value were measured using portable HANNA multiparameter meters in situ.

In the laboratory, samples were thoroughly shaken and stirred for 10 minutes in distilled water to extract testate amoebae. The suspension without Sphagnum stems was poured off to a Petri dish; live amoebae and empty tests were identified and counted separately in one-tenth part of the entire Petri dish using a stereomicroscope at 65× magnification. If necessary, the shells were transferred to a slide with a thin pipette, placed in a drop of glycerol and investigated at 150× or 300× magnification using a light microscope. A minimum count of 300 shells in each sample was achieved. The taxonomic classification at the genus level is based on the revisions of Kosakyan et al. (2016) as summarised in Tsyganov et al. (2016), González-Miguéns et al. (2021) and González-Miguéns et al. (2022). Moisture content was determined from additional samples taken in the field. Wet samples were weighed and placed in an oven at 105°C for eight hours. The samples were then cooled in a desiccator to room temperature and then weighed again. Percentage moisture was calculated, based on the difference between the wet and dry sample weights.

Geographic coverage

Description:

The investigations were conducted from 2004 to 2006 in the Penza Region, Russia. The Penza Region is located in the west of the Volga Upland on the East European plain. It belongs to the forest-steppe subzone and the climate is temperate continental. The average annual air temperature in 2004–2006 is 5.8°C; precipitation is 627 mm (Weather and climate 2023). Nine mire ecosystems are included in this dataset (Fig. 1).

Figure 1.

Map of the sampling sites. The numbers in the circles are mires, 1 – Bezymianoe; 2 – Svetloe; 3 – Kachim; 4 – Verkhozimskoe; 5 – Chibirley; 6 – Naskaftiym; 7 – Ivanovskoe; 8 – Sosnovoborsk; 9 – Kuncherovo.

Bezymianoe mire (53.30463°N, 45.13816°E) was sampled once a month from 20 May to 26 September 2004. The bog is circular and about 300 m in diameter. The vegetation of lawns is dominated by Calamagrostis canescens (Weber) Roth., Eriophorum vaginatum L. and Menyanthes trifoliata (L.). The centre of the mire is overgrown with Betula pubescens Ehrh. and Pinus sylvestris L., together with the shrub Myrtus communis L. The moss cover is flat, with the predominant species Sphagnum palustre L., S. divinum Flatberg & K. Hassel and S. angustifolium (C.E.O. Jensen ex Russow) C.E.O. Jensen. The hummocks in the middle of the mire are formed by S. papillosum Lindb. and S. angustifolium, Polytrichum strictum Brid. and Drosera rotundifolia L. Due to peat excavation, there is a drain channel at the edges of the mire and several ditches with open water in the centre, where Utricularia vulgaris L. and Sparganium minimum Wallr. were common. The edge of the Sphagnum quagmire is formed by S. riparium Ångstr.

Svetloe mire (53.33073°N, 46.82112°E) was sampled on 3 and 27 June 2004. It represents an overgrowing Sphagnum mat around the Svetloe Lake (the area is 7.2 ha). The lake shore is surrounded by reed vegetation composed of Calamagrostis canescens (up to 90%), Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., Carex riparia Curtis and a small amount of Betula pendula Roth. and Salix sp. Samples for testate amoebae were only collected in a Sphagnum-dominated mat with the presence of Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn, Melampyrum nemorosum L., Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce and Vaccinium myrtillus L.

Kachim mire (53.36187°N, 46.58564°E) was sampled on 27 June 2004. This is the largest oligotrophic mire in the region, with an area of 39.2 ha. The mire is round and surrounded by a drainage channel. Various Sphagnum mosses dominate (up to 70%) the vegetation cover, with E. vaginatum growing on hummocks. The tree cover is represented by the rare species B. pubescens and P. sylvestris. Andromeda polifolia L., Oxycoccus palustris Pers. and Drosera rotundifolia are occasionally found as well. The abundance of Carex spp., Comarum palustre L. and Naumburgia thyrsiflora (L.) Rchb. increases at the edge of the mire.

Verkhozimskoe mire (52.98561°N, 46.45928°E) was sampled on 28 June 2004. It represents a mire complex with a total area of 8.1 ha, separated by a drainage channel. Mires are covered with various Sphagnum and Polytrichum species. The hummocks in the central part are formed by Carex lasiocarpa Ehrh., C. vesicaria L., Eriophorum vaginatum and Drosera rotundifolia. The other grasses that might be observed in the mire are C. riparia, C. cinerea Poll., Carex omskiana Meinsh., Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench, Comarum palustre, Menyanthes trifoliata, Lysimachia vulgaris L., Naumburgia thyrsiflora and Galium palustre L., Pinus sylvestris, Betula pubescens and Myrtus communis are found sporadically. Utricularia vulgaris is found only in waterlogged drainage channels.

Chibirley mire (52.91076°N, 46.62264°E) was sampled in June 2004. The mire is covered predominantly by Sphagnum mosses (Sph. riparium, Sph. centrale C.E.O.Jensen, Sph. palustre and Sph. capillifolium (Ehrh.) Hedw.) and, less abundantly, by diverse Polytrichum species. There are Betula pubescens, B. humilis Schrank, Pinus sylvestris, Oxycoccus palustris and Chamaedaphne calyculata (L.) Moench. in the central part of the mire. Drosera rotundifolia was found on hummocks. Amongst the grasses, Carex rostrata Stokes, C. cinerea and Eriophorum polystachyon L. were observed. At the edge of the mire, the vegetation was formed by Calamagrostis canescens, Eriophorum vaginatum, Comarum palustre, Lysimachia thyrsiflora, Typha latifolia L. and Menyanthes trifoliata. Salix cinerea and S. aurita L. were found sporadically.

Naskaftiym mire (52.93960°N, 45.47969°E) was sampled on 15 July 2004. It is a round bog (10 ha) that is completely covered by Sphagnum mosses (Sph. centrale, Sph. fallax (H.Klinggr.) H.Klinggr., Sph. flexuosum Dozy & Molk., Sph. girgensohnii Russow and Sph. obtusum Warnst.). The surface of the mire is relatively flat. Grasses are represented by Carex limosa L., C. cespitosa L., C. hartmaniorum Cajander, C. rostrata, Eriophorum angustifolium Honck., E. gracile W.D.J. Koch, E. vaginatum, Calamagrostis canescens and Phragmites australis. Comarum palustre, Equisetum fluviatile L., Peucedanum palustre (L.) Moench. and Menyanthes trifoliata are also found. Shrub Salix lapponum L. and trees of Betula pubescens are very rare.

Ivanovskoe mire (52.70788°N, 45.82308°E) was sampled on 28 July 2004. It represents a lake that is formed as a result of peat excavations in a mire and is overgrown by a Sphagnum-dominated mat. The area of the mire is 25 ha. The following types of mosses are found: Sphagnum riparium, Sph. squarrosum Crome and Sph. papillosum. The other mat-forming plants are Comarum palustre, Menyanthes trifoliata, Carex spp., Typha latifolia, Phragmites australis, Betula pubescens and Salix cinerea.

Sosnovoborsk mire (53.31500°N, 46.19544°E) was sampled on 5 June 2005. It represents a waterlogged pine forest with shallow peat deposits. The tree cover is generally composed of Pinus sylvestris with an admixture of Betula pubescens, Frangula alnus Mill., Sorbus aucuparia L. and Chamaecytisus ruthenicus (Fisch. ex Woloszcz.) Klásk. The shrubs and herbs are Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. and Rubus saxatilis L. The ground cover is formed by Lycopodium annotinum L., L. clavatum L., Diphasisastrum complanatum (L.) Holub., Luzula pilosa (L.) Willd. and Pteridium aquilinum. Mosses are Polytrichum commune Hedw., Sphagnum denticulatum Brid., Sph. girgensohnii, Sph. centrale, Sph. russowii Warnst. and Sph. divinum.

Kuncherovo mire (53.34832°N, 46.83608°E) was sampled on 4 July 2006. This is a round in shape, mesotrophic mire with an area of 2 ha. At the edges, Salix sp. and hummocks formed by Carex canescens L. were found. The central part is composed of Betula pubescens, Eriophorum vaginatum and a well-developed Sphagnum moss cover. Scheuchzeria palustris L., Comarum palustre and Menyanthes trifoliata are rare. Sphagnum moss cover is composed of Sph. divinum, Sph. angustifolium and Sph. squarrosum.

Coordinates:

52.70788°N and 53.36187°N Latitude; 45.13816°E and 46.83608°E Longitude.

Taxonomic coverage

Description:

The dataset represents information on the distribution of 86 species of testate amoebae in Sphagnum-dominated bogs in the forest-steppe ecotone. There are a total of 29 genera, which belong to 16 families and three incertae sedis ranks (Table 1). In total, 49,238 individuals were identified with 3,123 occurrences (Kriuchkov et al. 2023). The greatest number of genera were in the families Hyalospheniidae (4) and incertae sedis (3), including Argynnia, Physochila and Trigonopyxis. Families Arcellidae, Assulinidae, Centropyxidae, Euglyphidae, Netzeliidae and Trinematidae include two genera and all the others contain only one. The largest number of taxa were found in Arcellidae (18), Difflugiidae (11) and Euglyphidae (11).

The most abundant species in the dataset (Table 2) are Assulina muscorum (11.9% of the total number of counted individuals), which also has the highest occurrence (281). The species Hyalosphenia papilio (11.7%) is almost equally abundant as the previous one, whereas the other species had lower abundances: Physochila tenella (7.5%), Galeripora arenaria (7.3%), Nebela tincta (7.0%), Heleopera sphagni (6.8%), Phryganella hemisphaerica (6.7%), Hyalosphenia elegans (5.7%), Assulina seminulum (5.0%), Euglypha ciliata (3.9%), Euglypha laevis (2.5%), Galeripora catinus (2.4%), Archerella flavum (2.1%), Centropyxis aculeata (2.0%), Difflugia parva (1.1%) and Heleopera petricola (1.1%). A total of 20 taxa are less abundant than 0.02% and are assumed to be rare: Lesquereusia spiralis, Euglypha cristata decora, Sphenoderia fissirostris, Galeripora polypora, Difflugia urceolata, Pseudodifflugia gracilis, Difflugia oblonga, Galeripora megastoma, Difflugia pyriformis, Scutiglypha scutigera, Argynnia dentistoma, Centropyxis ecornis, Euglypha acanthophora, Euglypha strigosa glabra, Placocista glabra, Centropyxis constricta, Cyclopyxis aplanata microstoma, Difflugia bacillifera, Placocista lens, Difflugia brevicolla, Arcella vulgaris undulata, Arcella vulgaris penardi and Lesquereusia inequalis. The following species were found in more than a third part of all sample sets: A. muscorum (281), N. tincta (186), H. papilio (185), A. seminulum (176), E. ciliata (173), H. elegans (136), E. laevis (131), P. tenella (130), G. arenaria (127), H. sphagni (124), P. hemisphaerica (118), A. flavum (109) and C. aculeata (103). There are 12 species that were observed only once: Pseudodifflugia gracilis, Galeripora megastoma, Scutiglypha scutigera, Argynnia dentistoma, Euglypha strigosa glabra, Cyclopyxis aplanata microstoma, Difflugia bacillifera, Placocista lens, Difflugia brevicolla, Arcella vulgaris undulata, Arcella vulgaris penardi and Lesquereusia inequalis.

Traits coverage

Temporal coverage

Collection data

Usage licence

Usage licence:

Other

IP rights notes:

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial (CC-BY-NC) 4.0 Licence

Data resources

Data package title:

The dataset on terrestrial testate amoebae from forest-steppe ecotone (Middle Volga Territory, Russia) in 2004–2006.

Resource link:

https://www.gbif.org/dataset/66da1912-92fe-4527-95be-fb38b12b21a8

Alternative identifiers:

http://gbif.ru:8080/ipt/resource?r=penza&v=1.23 https://doi.org/10.15468/3d6gcr https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.4tu8q5

Number of data sets:

Data set name:

The dataset on terrestrial testate amoebae from forest-steppe ecotone (Middle Volga Territory, Russia) in 2004–2006

Download URL:

http://gbif.ru:8080/ipt/archive.do?r=penza

Description:

The description of each observation in the dataset is based on terms used in the general Darwin Core vocabulary (GBIF.org 2023). In the dataset, each observation includes basic information on the location (latitude and longitude), date of observation, name of the observer and number of counted individuals. The coordinates were determined in situ using a GPS device. The dataset is structured using the Occurrences and Extended Measurements or Facts (eMoF) extension. The Extended Measurement or Fact table contains the fields listed in the table below. Sampling locations of mires contain information (i.e. measurementType) on microtopography (hummocks, lawns, hollows or not available), oxidising and reducing potential (redox), total mineralisation (tds), substrate temperature, acidity (pH), substrate wetness and mire water table depth (WTD).

Column label	Column description
eventID (Occurrence)	An identifier for the set of information associated with an Event.
parentEventID (Occurrence)	An identifier for the broad event of place and year.
samplingProtocol (Occurrence)	Descriptions of the methods and protocols used for material sampling.
samplingEffort (Occurrence)	The amount of effort expended during sampling procedure.
sampleSizeValue (Occurrence)	A numeric value for a measurement of the size (volume) of a sample.
sampleSizeUnit (Occurrence)	Cubic centimetre.
occurrenceID (Occurrence, eMoF)	An identifier for the occurrence (as opposed to a particular digital record of the occurrence).
eventDate (Occurrence)	The date when material was collected or sampling period.
basisOfRecord (Occurrence)	The specific nature of the data record.
kingdom (Occurrence)	The full scientific name of the Kingdom in which the taxon is classified.
scientificName (Occurrence)	The full scientific name, including the genus name and the lowest level of taxonomic rank with the authority.
habitat (Occurrence)	Notes about the dcterms:Location (microtopography, including hummocks, lawns and hollows).
family (Occurrence)	The full scientific name of the Family in which the taxon is classified.
class (Occurrence)	The full scientific name of the Class in which the taxon is classified.
taxonRank (Occurrence)	The taxonomic rank of the most specific name in the scientificName.
decimalLatitude (Occurrence)	The geographic latitude of location in decimal degrees.
decimalLongitude (Occurrence)	The geographic longitude of location in decimal degrees.
countryCode (Occurrence)	The standard code for the country in which the location is found, Russia (RU).
individualCount (Occurrence)	The number of individuals present at the time of the occurrence.
organismQuantity (Occurrence)	A number or enumeration value for the quantity of organisms.
organismQuantityType (Occurrence)	The type of quantification system used for the quantity of organisms (counted shells).
verbatimDepth (Occurrence)	The original description of the depth below the local surface (sampling depth from Sphagnum stems).
measurementType (eMoF)	The nature of the measurement, fact, characteristic or assertion (redox, total mineralisation, substrate temperature, pH, water table depth, substrate moisture).
measurementUnit (eMoF)	The units associated with the dwc:measurementValue (mV, mkSim/cm, °C, pH value, cm, %).
measurementValue (eMoF)	The value of the redox, total mineralisation, substrate temperature, pH, water table depth and substrate moisture measurement.
geodeticDatum (Occurrence)	WGS84
coordinateUncertaintyInMetres (Occurrence)	Coordinate uncertainty in metres (10).
coordinatePrecision (Occurrence)	A decimal representation of the precision of the coordinates (0.00001).
stateProvince (Occurrence)	The name of the next smaller administrative region than country (Penza Region).
minimumDepthInMetres (Occurrence)	The lesser depth of a range of depth below the local surface, in metres.
maximumDepthInMetres (Occurrence)	The greater depth of a range of depth below the local surface, in metres.
taxonRemarks (Occurrence)	Notes about the taxon valid name.
country	The name of the country or major administrative unit in which the Location occurs.

Additional information

Acknowledgements

References

Adl SM, Simpson AGB, Farmer MA, Andersen RA, Anderson OR, Barta JR, Bowser SS, Brugerolle G, Fensome RA, Fredericq S, James TY, Karpov S, Kugrens P, Krug J, Lane CE, Lewis LA, Lodge J, Lynn DH, Mann DG, McCourt RM, Mendoza L, Moestrup O, Mozley-Standridge SE, Nerad TA, Shearer CA, Smirnov AV, Spiegel FW, Taylor MFJR (2005)

The new higher level classification of eukaryotes with emphasis on the taxonomy of protists.

The Journal of eukaryotic microbiology

(

399

‑

451

. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1550-7408.2005.00053.x

Adl SM, Bass D, Lane CE, Lukeš J, Schoch CL, Smirnov A, Agatha S, Berney C, Brown MW, Burki F, Cárdenas P, Čepička I, Chistyakova L, Del Campo J, Dunthorn M, Edvardsen B, Eglit Y, Guillou L, Hampl V, Heiss AA, Hoppenrath M, James TY, Karnkowska A, Karpov S, Kim E, Kolisko M, Kudryavtsev A, Lahr DJG, Lara E, Le Gall L, Lynn DH, Mann DG, Massana R, Mitchell EAD, Morrow C, Park JS, Pawlowski JW, Powell MJ, Richter DJ, Rueckert S, Shadwick L, Shimano S, Spiegel FW, Torruella G, Youssef N, Zlatogursky V, Zhang Q (2019)

Revisions to the Classification, Nomenclature, and Diversity of Eukaryotes.

The Journal of eukaryotic microbiology

(

‑

119

. https://doi.org/10.1111/jeu.12691

Asada T, Warner B (2009)

Plants and testate amoebae as environmental indicators in cupriferous peatlands, New Brunswick, Canada

Ecological Indicators

(

129

‑

137

. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2008.02.006

Carballeira R, Pontevedra-Pombal X (2021)

Diversity of Testate Amoebae as an Indicator of the Conservation Status of Peatlands in Southwest Europe

Diversity

(

). https://doi.org/10.3390/d13060269

Cavalier-Smith T (2004)

Only six kingdoms of life

Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences

271

(

1545

1251

‑

1262

. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2004.2705

Cockburn C, Gregory BB, Nasser N, Patterson RT (2020)

Intra-Lake Arcellinida (testate lobose amoebae) response to winter de-icing contamination in an Eastern Canada Road-Side “Salt Belt” Lake

Microbial Ecology

(

366

‑

383

. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-020-01513-w

Creevy A, Wilkinson D, Andersen R, Payne R (2023)

Testate amoebae response and vegetation composition after plantation removal on a former raised bog

European Journal of Protistology

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejop.2023.125977

Daza S, Haimi E, Vähäkuopus J, Ojala T, Valpola A, Meissnner K (2020)

Testate amoebae as a potential tracer of organic matter dislodged from peat extraction areas

Boreal Environment Research

‑

. URL: http://www.borenv.net/BER/archive/pdfs/ber25/ber25-019-037.pdf

Dobrovol’skii GV, Sheremet BV, Afanas'eva TV, Palecheck LA (1998)

Pochvy. Entsiklopediya prirody Rossii

. [

Soils. Encyclopedia of Nature of Russia

Moscow: AVF

[In

Russian

Escobar J, Brenner M, Whitmore T, Kenney W, Curtis J (2008)

Ecology of testate amoebae (thecamoebians) in subtropical Florida lakes

Journal of Paleolimnology

(

715

‑

731

. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10933-008-9195-5

Evans CC, Mullan D, Roe H, Fox P, Gray S, Swindles G (2023)

Response of testate amoeba assemblages to peatland drain blocking

Wetlands Ecology and Management

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-023-09949-w

Foissner W (2006)

Biogeography and dispersal of micro-organisms: a review emphasising protists.

Acta Protozoologica

111

‑

136

GBIF.org (2023)

Vocabulary of Darwin Core Terms

. https://dwc.tdwg.org/list/#4-vocabulary. Accessed on: 2023-12-19.

Gilbert D, Mitchell EAD (2006)

Microbial diversity in Sphagnum peatlands

Developments in Earth Surface Processes

287

‑

318

. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0928-2025(06)09013-4

González-Miguéns R, Soler-Zamora C, Villar-Depablo M, Todorov M, Lara E (2021)

Multiple convergences in the evolutionary history of the testate amoeba family Arcellidae (Amoebozoa: Arcellinida: Sphaerothecina): when the ecology rules the morphology

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

194

(

1044

‑

1071

. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab074

González-Miguéns R, Todorov M, Blandenier Q, Duckert C, Porfirio-Sousa A, Ribeiro G, Ramos D, Lahr DG, Buckley D, Lara E (2022)

Deconstructing Difflugia: The tangled evolution of lobose testate amoebae shells (Amoebozoa: Arcellinida) illustrates the importance of convergent evolution in protist phylogeny

Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution

175

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107557

Kosakyan A, Gomaa F, Lara E, Lahr DG (2016)

Current and future perspectives on the systematics, taxonomy and nomenclature of testate amoebae

European Journal of Protistology

105

‑

117

. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejop.2016.02.001

Krashevska V, Tsyganov A, Esaulov A, Mazei Y, Hapsari KA, Saad A, Sabiham S, Behling H, Biagioni S (2020)

Testate amoeba species- and trait-based transfer functions for reconstruction of hydrological regime in tropical peatland of Central Sumatra, Indonesia

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2020.00225

Kriuchkov N, Babeshko K, Saldaeva N, Chernyshov V, Esaulov A, Komarov A, Mazei N, Saldaev D, Stoiko T, Tsyganov A, Mazei Y (2023)

The dataset on terrestrial testate amoebae from forest-steppe ecotone (Middle Volga Territory, Russia) in 2004-2006. Occurrence dataset

Penza State University

. URL: https://doi.org/10.15468/3d6gcr

Laggoun‐Défarge F, Mitchell EAD, Gilbert D, Disnar J, Comont L, Warner B, Buttler A (2007)

Cut‐over peatland regeneration assessment using organic matter and microbial indicators (bacteria and testate amoebae)

Journal of Applied Ecology

(

716

‑

727

. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01436.x

Lamentowicz Ł, Gąbka M, Rusińska A, Sobczyński T, Owsianny P, Lamentowicz M (2011)

Testate amoeba (Arcellinida, Euglyphida) ecology along a poor‐rich gradient in fens of Western Poland

International Review of Hydrobiology

(

356

‑

380

. https://doi.org/10.1002/iroh.201111357

Lamentowicz M, Słowiński M, Marcisz K, Zielińska M, Kaliszan K, Lapshina E, Gilbert D, Buttler A, Fiałkiewicz-Kozieł B, Jassey VJ, Laggoun-Defarge F, Kołaczek P (2017)

Hydrological dynamics and fire history of the last 1300 years in western Siberia reconstructed from a high-resolution, ombrotrophic peat archive

Quaternary Research

(

312

‑

325

. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yqres.2015.09.002

Mazei Y, Bubnova O, Chernyshov V (2009)

Community structure of testate amoebae (testacealobosea; testaceafilosea; amphitremidae) in Chibirleiskoye sphagnum bog (Middle Volga region)

Izvestiya Samarskogo Nauchnogo Centra Rossiskaya Akademii Nauk

‑

. [In

Russian

Mazei Y, Chernyshov V, Tsyganov A, Payne R (2015)

Testing the effect of refrigerated storage on testate amoeba samples

Microbial Ecology

(

861

‑

864

. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-015-0628-1

Mazei YA, Bubnova OA (2007)

Species composition and structure of testate amoebae community in a sphagnum bog at the initial stage of its formation

Biology Bulletin

(

619

‑

628

. https://doi.org/10.1134/s1062359007060131

Mazei YA, Tsyganov AN (2007a)

Species composition, spatial distribution and seasonal dynamics of testate amoebae community in sphagnum bog (Middle Volga region, Russia).

Protistology

156

‑

206

Mazei YA, Tsyganov AN (2007b)

Changes of the testate amoeba community structure along environmental gradients in a Sphagnum-dominated bog under restoration after peat excavation

Povolzhskii Ecologicheski Zhurnal

‑

. [In

Russian

Mazei YA, Tsyganov AN, Bubnova OA (2007a)

The species composition, distribution, and structure of a testate amoeba community from a moss bog in the middle Volga River Basin

Zoologicheskii Zhurnal

1155

‑

1167

. [In

Russian

Mazei YA, Tsyganov AN, Bubnova OA (2007b)

Structure of a community of testate amoebae in a Sphagnum dominated bog in upper sura flow (Middle Volga Territory)

Biology Bulletin

(

382

‑

394

. https://doi.org/10.1134/s1062359007040115

Mazei YA, Bubnova OA (2008)

Testate amoebae community structure in the Naskaftym sphagnum bog (Middle-Volga Region)

Povolzhskii Ecologicheskii Zhurnal

‑

. [In

Russian

Mazei YA, Bubnova OA (2009)

Testate amoebae from sphagnum biotopes of forested mires

Zoologicheskii Zhurnal

387

‑

397

. [In

Russian

Nguyen-Viet H, Bernard N, Mitchell EAD, Cortet J, Badot P-, Gilbert D (2006)

Relationship between testate amoeba (Protist) communities and atmospheric heavy metals accumulated in Barbula indica (Bryophyta) in Vietnam

Microbial Ecology

(

‑

. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-006-9108-y

Patterson RT, Roe H, Swindles G (2012a)

Development of an Arcellacea (testate lobose amoebae) based transfer function for sedimentary phosphorus in lakes

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

‑

. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.05.028

Patterson RT, Lamoureux ER, Neville L, Macumber A (2012b)

Arcellacea (testate lobose amoebae) as pH indicators in a pyrite mine-acidified lake, Northeastern Ontario, Canada

Microbial Ecology

(

541

‑

554

. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-012-0108-9

Payne R (2007)

Laboratory experiments on testate amoebae preservation in peats: Implications for palaeoecology and future studies

Acta Protozoologica

(

325

‑

322

Payne R (2009)

Testate amoeba response to acid deposition in a Scottish peatland

Aquatic Ecology

(

373

‑

385

. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-009-9297-9

Qin Y, Puppe D, Zhang L, Sun R, Li P, Xie S (2021a)

How does Sphagnum growing affect testate amoeba communities and corresponding protozoic Si pools? Results from field analyses in SW China

Microbial Ecology

(

459

‑

469

. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-020-01668-6

Qin Y, Li H, Mazei Y, Kurina I, Swindles G, Bobrov A, Tsyganov A, Gu Y, Huang X, Xue J, Lamentowicz M, Marcisz K, Roland T, Payne R, Mitchell EAD, Xie S (2021b)

Developing a continental-scale testate amoeba hydrological transfer function for Asian peatlands

Quaternary Science Reviews

258

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2021.106868

Šímová A, Jiroušek M, Singh P, Hájková P, Hájek M (2022)

Ecology of testate amoebae along an environmental gradient from bogs to calcareous fens in East-Central Europe: development of transfer functions for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

601

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2022.111145

Sim T, Swindles G, Morris P, Baird A, Charman D, Amesbury M, Beilman D, Channon A, Gallego-Sala A (2021)

Ecology of peatland testate amoebae in Svalbard and the development of transfer functions for reconstructing past water-table depth and pH

Ecological Indicators

131

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2021.108122

Siver P, Lott A, Torres P (2020)

Abundance and distribution of testate amoebae bearing siliceous plates in freshwater lakes and ponds along the east coast of North America: Importance of water depth and pH

Freshwater Science

(

791

‑

803

. https://doi.org/10.1086/711691

Smirnov A, Nassonova E, Berney C, Fahrni J, Bolivar I, Pawlowski J (2005)

Molecular phylogeny and classification of the lobose amoebae.

Protist

156

(

129

‑

. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.protis.2005.06.002

Swindles G, Morris P, Mullan D, Payne R, Roland T, Amesbury M, Lamentowicz M, Turner TE, Gallego-Sala A, Sim T, Barr I, Blaauw M, Blundell A, Chambers F, Charman D, Feurdean A, Galloway J, Gałka M, Green S, Kajukało K, Karofeld E, Korhola A, Lamentowicz Ł, Langdon P, Marcisz K, Mauquoy D, Mazei Y, McKeown M, Mitchell EAD, Novenko E, Plunkett G, Roe H, Schoning K, Sillasoo Ü, Tsyganov A, van der Linden M, Väliranta M, Warner B (2019)

Widespread drying of European peatlands in recent centuries

Nature Geoscience

(

922

‑

928

. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0462-z

Swindles G, Roland T, Amesbury M, Lamentowicz M, McKeown M, Sim T, Fewster R, Mitchell EAD (2020)

Quantifying the effect of testate amoeba decomposition on peat-based water-table reconstructions

European Journal of Protistology

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejop.2020.125693

Tsyganov A, Mityaeva O, Mazei Y, Payne R (2016)

Testate amoeba transfer function performance along localised hydrological gradients

European Journal of Protistology

141

‑

151

. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejop.2015.12.002

Tsyganov AN, Mazei YA (2007)

The species composition and structure of testate amoeba community in a bogged lake in the Middle Volga basin.

Uspekhi Sovremennoi Biologii

405

‑

415

Tsyganov AN, Babeshko KV, Mazei YA (2016)

Guide to testate amoebae with the keys to genera

Penza University Press

Penza

132

pp.

Tsyganov AN, Babeshko KV, Novenko EY, Malysheva EA, Payne RJ, Mazei YA (2017)

Quantitative reconstruction of peatland hydrological regime with fossil testate amoebae communities

Russian Journal of Ecology

(

191

‑

198

. https://doi.org/10.1134/s1067413617020084

Weather and climate (2023) http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru

Wilkinson D, Mitchell EAD (2010)

Testate amoebae and nutrient cycling with particular reference to soils

Geomicrobiology Journal

520

‑

533

. https://doi.org/10.1080/01490451003702925

Zhang H, Väliranta M, Swindles G, Aquino-López M, Mullan D, Tan N, Amesbury M, Babeshko K, Bao K, Bobrov A, Chernyshov V, Davies M, Diaconu A, Feurdean A, Finkelstein S, Garneau M, Guo Z, Jones M, Kay M, Klein E, Lamentowicz M, Magnan G, Marcisz K, Mazei N, Mazei Y, Payne R, Pelletier N, Piilo S, Pratte S, Roland T, Saldaev D, Shotyk W, Sim T, Sloan T, Słowiński M, Talbot J, Taylor L, Tsyganov A, Wetterich S, Xing W, Zhao Y (2022)

Recent climate change has driven divergent hydrological shifts in high-latitude peatlands

Nature Communications

(

). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32711-4

Zheng X, Amesbury M, Hope G, Martin L, Mooney S (2019)

Testate amoebae as a hydrological proxy for reconstructing water-table depth in the mires of south-eastern Australia

Ecological Indicators

701

‑

710

. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.09.019

Supplementary material

Endnotes