Cylinder alga
Cylindrocystis brebissonii
The cylinder alga is a unicellular, cylindrical green alga from the class Zygnematophyceae. It possesses two characteristic star-shaped chloroplasts separated by a nucleus in the center of the cell. The species prefers extremely nutrient-poor and acidic sites such as raised bogs, wet rocks, or damp soils.
Details
Oxygen production
Produces oxygen during photosynthesis in moist habitats.
Habitat function
Colonizes the surface of sphagnum mosses and stabilizes gelatinous micro-habitats.
Nutrient uptake
Direct uptake of dissolved mineral salts through the cell surface.
Food source for
Serves as a food source for microorganisms in bogs and wetlands.
Ecology
Ecological role
Primary producer in extreme, acidic habitats; forms the nutritional basis for specialized microorganisms.
Natural predators
Microscopic consumers such as protozoa, small crustaceans, and rotifers.
Competitor species
Other specialized desmids and microalgae associated with sphagnum moss.
Ecosystem service
Contribution to carbon fixation and oxygen production in bog ecosystems.
Threats
Habitat loss due to bog drainage, eutrophication, and climate change.
Scientific profile
Protection & threats
Main threats
Eutrophication via atmospheric nitrogen deposition, drainage of bogs and wetlands, liming of adjacent forest areas, and climate-induced desiccation.