Influence of sediment grain size and mineralogy on testate amoebae test construction

Testate amoebae are increasingly used for environmental monitoring as well as paleoenvironmental reconstructions. Paleoecological interpretations of testate amoebae assemblages depend on the understanding of the ecological processes operating today. We then ask the question of the link between testate structure and its environment. This study analyses both the grain size and mineralogical assemblage of tests of common species belonging to the genus Centropyxis and Difflugia. It is concluded that grain size is a limiting factor for test construction, whereas mineral composition is not. Hence, when analyzing agglutinated testate amoebae for paleoenvironmental reconstructions, it should be taken into account the mean grain size of the sediment. A non-appropriate grain-size probably inhibits the development of a testate amoebae specific assemblage.