Protozoans bacterivory in a subtropical environment during a dry/cold and a rainy/warm season

In aquatic ecosystems, bacteria are controlled by several organisms in the food chain, such as protozoa, that use them as food source. This study aimed to quantify the ingestion and clearance rates of bacteria by ciliates and heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF) in a subtropical freshwater reservoir (Monjolinho reservoir -São Carlos -Brazil) during one year period, in order to verify their importance as consumers and controllers of bacteria in two seasons, a dry/cold and a rainy/warm one. For this purpose, in situ bacterivory experiments were carried out bimonthly using fluorescently labeled b...

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