We investigated the community of free-living ciliates (Ciliophora) in the Podutik reservoir, a small water body on the outskirts of Ljubljana. The aim of the study was to obtain the first data on the ciliate species in this area and to evaluate their diversity in relation to the environmental factors of the reservoir. We obtained data on water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids, Secchi depth, water depth, biochemical oxygen demand, nitrate and orthophosphate ion concentrations, and flow and reservoir size. In addition, we used light microscopy and DIC technique to determine the species of ciliates found in our samples according to their morphology and we searched the literature for information on their ecological characteristics. The results showed that the species present in the reservoir during the spring-summer time can be attributed to different communities. While reviewing the literature we observed a correlation between the species composition and abundance of species and ecosystem characteristics. The ecosystem characteristics that have the greatest influence are water body size, water depth, water transparency, aquatic vegetation, and dissolved oxygen. The diversity of ciliates in the Podutik reservoir is comparable to other water bodies around the world that have similar characteristics. In addition, positive changes in the riparian vegetation have been observed as a result of natural succession following maintenance works. Our results contribute to the knowledge of ciliates in inland aquatic ecosystems and provide a basis for further research on ciliates in Slovenia.
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