Transformation of lowland rainforest into plantations: Changes in the diversity and composition of trophic groups of protists

Protists are eukaryotic single-celled organisms with astonishingly high abundances. They are everywhere but only few people seem to care about this. What are these creatures doing? What is their role in an ecosystem?

My work focuses on the diversity, community structure and functioning of these creatures in the soils in tropical ecosystems. In the B08 project I investigate the impact of forest transformation to oil palm, rubber and jungle rubber plantations on trophic groups of protists.