More bog desmids from Widdybank Fell

Chris Carter continues to find some amazing-looking desmids in the gungy bits of Sphagnum I've been sending him from Widdybank Fell. Last time I sent him just 2 bits of Sphagnum and he has been busy for months finding more and more species of these microscopic algae in amongst the Sphagnum - and he's not finished yet!

Here are some of his latest finds -



There is a Dutch method of assessing the conservation value of wetland sites using desmid species called the Coesel method. Based on what Chris has found so far from just 5 small samples of Sphagnum from Widdybank Fell, the site now has a score of 8 or 9 out of 10. I'm sure its only a matter of time before it reaches 10 out of 10.

John

There's something else in the bog!

See our post of 19th January for pictures of amazing-looking testate amoebae taken by Chris Carter. Chris really wanted to find desmids (a type of unicellular alga with lateral symmetry) in the sphagnum samples but the samples I collected the first time were not from the right bit of the bog. So since then I have been collecting the most gungy, horrible-looking bits of sphagnum from bog pools. The more gungy they are the more excited Chris gets!

Here are some stunning photos of some of the desmids he has found in sphagnum samples from Widdybank Fell in upper Teesdale:



This next one is a testate amoeba rather than a desmid.

There is a method of assigning conservation value to mire sites based on the species of desmids that is used in the Netherlands. Using the first 3 small sphagnum samples Chris found 17 species (8 of which were red list) which already gives Widdybank fell a score of 6 out of 10. The pictures above are from 2 more samples collected recently and already Chris has found several extra species so this will result in an even higher conservation score from a very small amount of sampling.

The bog at Widdybank Fell is very species-rich and is well known for its conservation value for other groups of species. On my last visit Viola rupestris and Gentiana verna were flowering in the limestone grassland surrounding the bog and Minuartia stricta (at its only British site) was just about to flower in a flush. There was constant calling from golden plovers in the background and we almost stepped on a dunlin.

Viola rupestris growing on eroding sugar limestone at Widdybank Fell

John

There's something in the bog!

It still always amazes me just how mind-boggling the diversity of wild plants and animals is and how little any one person can ever hope to learn about it. Have a look at these pictures of testate amobae taken by Chris Carter from blanket bog on the watershed between Weardale and Allendale.

I met Chris on a training course last year and as he knew I was interested in Sphagnum he asked me to send him some samples so that he could have a look at what was living in the water amongst the Sphagnum. Chris was particularly interested to see what desmids there were, but he mainly found amobae in the samples I sent him as the samples were mainly from the drier bits of the bog.

Here is a good link on desmids http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/wimsmall/algdr.html

and here's one on testate amobae http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/indexmag.html?http://www.microscopy-uk.org.uk/mag/artjun03/gsamoebae.html

It was really difficult to choose only a few of Chris's photos but here are some of my favourites...

Meet Arcella arenaria...

What has this Nebella swallowed?

You wouldn't want to meet Euglypha compressa on your way home on a dark night!

Later that evening... Nebella again. I think it had too much kebab. Or maybe it was the fresh air?

John