Arcellacea (Testate Lobose Amoebae) as pH Indicators in a Pyrite Mine-Acidified Lake, Northeastern Ontario, Canada

Arcellacea (testate lobose amoebae) were examined in 24 sediment—water interface samples collected over two late August field seasons in 2010 and 2011, from James and Granite lakes, Temagami Region, Northeastern Ontario. The work was carried out to quantitatively test species—environment relationships in a lake system known to be characterized by a significant pH gradient, partially the result of contamination from the early twentieth century Northland Pyrite Mine Co., located on the shoreline in the southern basin of James Lake. Redundancy analysis confirmed that arcellacean assemblage structure was most strongly controlled by pH, explaining 14.06 % (p