2006Botanical Garden in Aobayama IX

Soils from the L, H, and A layers were sampled from the Tohoku University Botanical Garden in Sendai. This is a video of an organism taken from the A layer, the first layer below the soil surface (which is composed of L, F, and H layers). The A layer is mainly composed of mineral particles and humus. At first organisms could not be found in the newly collected soil, so the samples (including water) were left for one month and then observed.

Commentary by Prof. Yuji Tsukii, Hosei University
This ciliate has a long tapered mouth at the front, and a contracting vacuole at the rear end. It might belong to Tetrahymena or a related group, but the more tapered rear end of this organism suggests it may not be Tetrahymena.

http://protist.i.hosei.ac.jp/PDB/Im.....

Ciliates can be difficult to identify because there are so many similar types. Sathrophilus is an example of a ciliate that is often difficult to identify.

http://protist.i.hosei.ac.jp/PDB/Im.....

Sampling Date : 06 December 2006

Sampling Site : Tohoku University Botanical Garden in Aobayama  Google Map