Biodiversity Studies of Myxomycetes

The fundamental objective of this project was to continue our ongoing efforts to document the slime molds (primarily myxomycetes but also including other types of slime molds) of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park . During a period in late July and early August of 2003 that included the High Country Quest, specimens of slime molds were collected from a number of study sites throughout the Park. Particular emphasis was directed towards forest types (especially old-growth and high-elevation examples) and microhabitats for which relatively little data are available from previous studies. A major goal in 2003 was to have three slime mold experts from Europe ( Grazina Adamonyte from Lithuania, Tatyana Krivomaz from the Ukraine, and David Mitchell from England) become involved in the ATBI, and the funding received from DLIA was used to cover some of the costs involved in bringing these three individuals to the Park. More than 430 specimens of myxomycetes were collected along with samples of bark, litter, soil/litter, and various types of organic debris for isolation of myxomycetes and dictyostelids in the laboratory. In addition to the collecting carried out during late July/early August, a second trip was made to the Park in early November, when a number of additional specimens of myxomycetes were collected along with numerous samples of organic debris for isolation of the third group of slime molds (the protostelids). Collectively, these collections and samples (some of which have yet to be processed) have yielded at least two species of protostelids and seven species of myxomycetes not previously known from the Park.