americana

Images made through a microscope. All subject types.

Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau

Wim van Egmond
Posts: 826
Joined: Tue Aug 15, 2006 9:28 am
Location: Berkel en Rodenrijs, the Netherlands
Contact:

americana

Post by Wim van Egmond »

Finally a new image.

This is Micrasterias americana, a small desmid that used to be very rare here in the Netherlands. But it is becoming more and more widespread.

Funny, but it reminds me a bit of Coca Cola and McDonalds. :)

I stacked it from 5 or 6 images. 25X neofluar obj. darkfield. I agree with Wolfgang that manual stacking often works better with microsubjects but this one worked o.k.

Wim

Image

Gerd
Posts: 152
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2006 3:56 pm
Location: Duesseldorf, Germany

Post by Gerd »

Hi Wim,
well done in darkfield, very nice.
Gerd

beetleman
Posts: 3578
Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:19 am
Location: Southern New Hampshire USA

Post by beetleman »

Excellent Wim. Any thoughts on why it is becoming more widespread? Cleaner water? It seems that things decline rather than rebound.
Take Nothing but Pictures--Leave Nothing but Footprints.
Doug Breda

Wim van Egmond
Posts: 826
Joined: Tue Aug 15, 2006 9:28 am
Location: Berkel en Rodenrijs, the Netherlands
Contact:

Post by Wim van Egmond »

I'm not sure why it is becoming more numerous. Perhaps it is originally an american species that is introduced here (in the 1950s) and takes over the niche of a similar species.

http://www.desmids.nl/maand/english/juneng02.html

Wim

beetleman
Posts: 3578
Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:19 am
Location: Southern New Hampshire USA

Post by beetleman »

Thank you Wim for the added information :smt023
Take Nothing but Pictures--Leave Nothing but Footprints.
Doug Breda

Hairyduck
Posts: 98
Joined: Wed Mar 07, 2007 8:05 am
Location: UK

Post by Hairyduck »

Agreed, great link there!

ralfwagner
Posts: 441
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Germany, Duesseldorf
Contact:

Post by ralfwagner »

Hello Wim,

I have found Micrasterias americana in the Netherlands, too. It was in an area called "White stone", near Roermond. The White stone area is a sand-heathland, or in German we name it a "Sandheide". I have posted a pic of that finding here in the forum:
http://www.photomacrography.net/forum/v ... php?t=1438

Wim van Egmond
Posts: 826
Joined: Tue Aug 15, 2006 9:28 am
Location: Berkel en Rodenrijs, the Netherlands
Contact:

Post by Wim van Egmond »

That is a great picture Ralph!!!!

Did you also find M. americana in Germany?

I have to travel an hour for 1 single little spot whre I can find many desmids. Most of the other useful areas are more towards the east of the country, which as some of you probably know is not that far, up to 2 hours. I live in a microscopic country :) Not strange that the microscopy hobby actually started here! :)

Wim

ralfwagner
Posts: 441
Joined: Sat Aug 05, 2006 8:34 am
Location: Germany, Duesseldorf
Contact:

Post by ralfwagner »

Wim van Egmond wrote:
Did you also find M. americana in Germany?

Wim
Yes! My favorite place for Desmids is the "Köln-Wahner Heide", a heathland near the Cologne airport. Many parts of that area are used as a military training area and this is good for the Desmids. The tanks and the other military vehicles leave deep grooves that later become filled with water. Time does the rest. In many of these grooves I have found M. americana and several other Desmids. Look at my homepage for some examples: http://www.dr-ralf-wagner.de/zieralgen-englisch.html

Wim van Egmond
Posts: 826
Joined: Tue Aug 15, 2006 9:28 am
Location: Berkel en Rodenrijs, the Netherlands
Contact:

Post by Wim van Egmond »

You have a fine collection of desmids, Ralph, they are great tiny algae. Interesting that tanks can be beneficial to desmids! :)

Wim

Wolfgang Bettighofer
Posts: 58
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:42 pm
Location: Kiel, Germany

M. americana

Post by Wolfgang Bettighofer »

Oh, what an interesting thread with nice photos! I was absent a few days...

Checking desmids literature Ruzicka and Lenzenweger wrote that habitat of M. americana is scattered in Central Europe. Boldt found it 1888 in Greenland, Skuja 1964 in swedish Lapland.

Did anyone find Micrasterias this year? My sphagnum pond is still empty, only a few Hyalotheca were found.

Cheers, Wolfgang

Wim van Egmond
Posts: 826
Joined: Tue Aug 15, 2006 9:28 am
Location: Berkel en Rodenrijs, the Netherlands
Contact:

Post by Wim van Egmond »

Wolfgang, thank you for the info. I wonder where the name americana comes from.

Here in the Netherlands the desmids are in full bloom. But perhaps it depends on the spot.

I also found some time to do microscopy. So I hope to post some more. It seems like a quiet time in the forum. Nowadays there are more moderaters than people who post micrographs :) :)

Wim

Wolfgang Bettighofer
Posts: 58
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2007 1:42 pm
Location: Kiel, Germany

Post by Wolfgang Bettighofer »

Wim van Egmond wrote:Wolfgang, thank you for the info. I wonder where the name americana comes from.
...
It seems like a quiet time in the forum. Nowadays there are more moderaters than people who post micrographs :) :)

Wim
Hi Wim,

I'll check from what americana is derived. Globally we know that, of course...

We're lucky to have moderators at the board who post micrographs :lol:

So long, Wolfgang

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic