Why the World Needs Protists!¹

Abstract

In this brief review, literature references are given to researches--involving diverse species of protists--that support the author's firm conviction that the biological world of today absolutely requires the presence of numerous of these generally small and unicelled organisms if it is to survive. Examples supplied come from areas within the field of protistology sensu lato as widely separated as basic phycological research on photosynthesis and protozoological/medical/biomedical investigations on malaria and other pathogens of human beings. Emphasis is primarily on the most relevant works of the past 10-15 years, although historically highly significant papers of older vintage require at least indirect--and occasionally direct--citation.

Complexity of river ciliate communities at a national park highlights the need for microbial conservation

“…Free‐living protists are the main components of the eukaryotic microbial communities at the base of freshwater ecosystems (Caron, ; Corliss, ; Fenchel, ). Their short duplication times and the possession of a simple membrane make the protists ideal for detecting changes in environmental conditions as they respond quickly.…”

“…Protists increase the turnover of essential nutrients that would otherwise remain locked up in bacterial biomass instead of being channelled to multicellular organisms (Esteban, Finlay, & Warren, ). The heterotrophic protists, such as flagellates and ciliates, are the most important consumers of bacteria in freshwater environments (Corliss, ; Jürgens & Matz, ). Their grazing efficiency over certain bacterial groups (i.e.…”

Provisional checklist of terrestrial heterotrophic protists from Antarctica

“…As a group, HPs possess a high degree of morphological, physiological, evolutionary and ecological diversity (Doolittle et al 1996, Couteaux & Darbyshire 1998, Geisen et al 2018). They play unique and essential roles in soil ecosystems, including promoting prey diversity and mobilizing nutrients to higher trophic levels (Corliss 2004, Clarholm 2005, Anderson 2012, Rønn et al 2012, Wilkinson et al 2012). In Antarctica, these protists have been studied for over 100 years (Richters 1908, Sudzuki 1979, Roland et al 2017).…”

Pack hunting by minute soil testate amoebae: nematode hell is a naturalist's paradise

“…I started this comment with the suggestion that we may be experiencing a new golden era in protistology and this has been a growing feeling in the last decade (Corliss, ; Clarholm, ). The study of Geisen and colleagues () illustrates perfectly the kind of major finding that can be done if one spends time looking at these organisms under the microscope to better characterize how they interact with other microorganisms and thus to better understand their true ecological function.…”