Tree canopy biodiversity (myxomycetes, macrofungi, mosses, liverworts, lichens, and tardigrades) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Tree canopy biodiversity (myxomycetes, macrofungi, mosses, liverworts, lichens, and tardigrades) in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Myxomycetes: Total number of species (107) recorded from the tree canopy. Total number of new records for the GSMNP from the tree canopy (51) represents 48 per cent. Total number of species (30) only known from living trees and vines (28 per cent). Total number of species known from tree canopy and ground sites (77) representing 72 per cent. A new species of Diachea was restricted to heights above 6.1 to 21.3 meters. This is the first upper tree canopy species documented for the Myxomycetes. Apparently the Myxomycetes are the only group of cryptogams with obligate tree canopy species.
Macrofungi: Five basidiomycete species were collected from the tree canopy with no new records for the GSMNP. All of these species are commonly found on ground sites.
Bryophytes (Mosses): Twenty-two moss species were collected from the tree canopy with no new records for the GSMNP. Liverworts: Sixteen liverwort species were collected from the tree canopy with no new records for the GSMNP. All of the moss and liverwort species are commonly found on ground sites.
Lichens: Fieldwork during the summer of calendar year 2000 produced 2,750 lichen samples taken from the tree canopy of 141 trees which yielded 193 species of lichens and of these 78 are new lichen records for the GSMNP. All lichen species recorded from the tree canopy also occur on ground sites.
Vascular Epiphytes: Polypodium appalachianum is a fern species typically found growing on rocks, other ground sites, and occasionally as an epiphyte at the trunk base of living trees. Its discovery as a tree canopy epiphyte in a champion-sized Liriodendron tulipifera tree at 35.1 meters and at at 39.7 meters on a horizontal branch was documented for the first time.
Tardigrades: An undergraduate student has been assigned this project. This is a joint venture with Diane Nelson, Paul Bartels and Paul Davison. This is the list of species we have identified to date and a number of slides were sent to Diane Nelson. Macrobiotus tonolii, Macrobiotus hufelandi group, Pseudechiniscus suillus, Milnesium tardigradum, and Minibiotus intermedius.
Keller H., M. Skrabal, U. Eliasson and T. Gaither. 2004. Tree Canopy Biodiversity in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park: ecological and developmental observations of a new myxomycete species of Diachea. Mycologia. Vol. 96(3): 537-547.
Snell, K.L. and H.W. Keller. 2003. Vertical distribution and assemblages of Corticolous Myxomycetes on five tree species in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. (to be submitted to Mycologia).
Keller, H.W., D. B. Lesmeister, P. Davison, and C. Haufler. 2003. Polypodium appalachianum: an unusual tree canopy epiphytic fern in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (submitted to American Fern Journal)
Keller, H.W., and K.D. Snell. 2002. Feeding activities of slugs on Myxomycetes and macrofungi. Mycologia 94 (5) (in press). Our color image of a slug feeding on immature myxomycete sporangia was selected as the artwork for the front cover of the journal. This publication has a color plate.
Keller, H.W. and M. Skrabal. 2002. Discovery of a new obligate tree canopy myxomycete in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Inoculum. Vol. 53 (2): 1-4.
Skrabal, M., K. Snell, L. Henley, J. Counts, and H.W. Keller. 2001. Fungi in the Canopy - Great Smokies Survey. The Mycophile, Newsletter of the North American Mycological Association. Vol. 42 (1): 6, 7, 13
Henley, L., M. Skrabal, K. Snell, J. Counts, and H.W. Keller. 2000. Life in the treetops at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. What's Up, The Newsletter of the International Canopy Network. Vol.7. (1): 6, 7.
Counts J., L. Henley; M. Skrabal and K.D. Snell. 1999. Tree Canopy Biodiversity in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Inoculum. Vol. 50 (6): 1-5.
Keller H. W., P. Davison,C. Haufler and D. Lesmeister. 2003. Polypodium appalachianum: An Unusual Tree Canopy Epiphyte in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
American Fern Journal, 93(1):36-41 (2003).
