Diversity of Myxomycetes and Algae Associated with the Soils of Different Forest Types in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Rollins AW and Smith T. 2013. Diversity of Myxomycetes and Algae Associated with the Soils of Different Forest Types in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. National Park Service. Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, TN
Eight forest type study areas (elevations: 568m-1618m) were established during the 2010 field season. Samples were collected from the soil/humus-liter interface for the laboratory isolation of slime molds and algae. The cultures for slime molds produced 97 specimens representing 11 species as well as two taxa that require further study because they cannot easily be placed into an existing species description. None of these species represented new records for the Park, but do represent the first reports of these organisms from this microhabitat. Interestingly, the species recovered are rarely obtained in culture and are typically considered to be associated with wood. Thirty-nine species of algae were recovered and Leptolyngbya foveolarum (cyanobacteria) represented the most frequently encountered species. Interestingly, 84% (33 species) of the recovered algal species represent new records for the Park. The diversity of the two groups of organisms varied among forest types, but no overall pattern was evident. The project involved three undergraduate students from Lincoln Memorial University, one who use this project to fulfill the research component required to earn a BS degree in Biology. One manuscript has been published as a result of this project and another is currently under development.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Rollins, Adam; Smith, Thomas
- Date of Issue
- 2013-02
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- Algae, All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, ATBI, Biodiversity, Cyanobacteria, Forest Types, GRSM-01032, myxomycetes, Soils