We are proud to issue this call for presentations for the 15th Anniversary of the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) Conference 2013, presented by Discover Life in America. The purpose of this conference is to highlight the research, conservation and educational efforts being made to understand, manage and restore the unique biological diversity of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and beyond. In response to growing interest in the national ATBI movement, the scope of the meeting has been broadened to include representatives from across the region, continent and world.
You are invited to join us in Gatlinburg, Tennessee for Discover Life in America’s 2013 ATBI Conference-Celebrating 15 Years of Discovery. Please consider presenting a paper, sharing your expertise in biodiversity, and/or being an active guest. We invite proposals for presentations, posters, and science, education and /or technology workshops on a broad array of topics pertinent to our professional community.
September 27, 2011 - 7:22pm
October 18, 2009 - 12:02pm
September 12, 2009 - 5:35pm
Dictyostelium stellatum (Slime Mold) Dictyostelids (cellular slime molds) are microscopic organisms found in the soil/humus layer of forests where they feed upon bacteria. For most of their life cycle, dictyostelids exist as unicellular amoeba-like cells. Eventually these cells aggregate (coming from all directions to congregate in a single place) to form a multicellular fruiting body. Fruiting bodies are small, and most examples are less than one centimeter tall. When the amoeba-like cells of D. stellatum aggregate to form fruiting bodies, they first move together in such a way that a star-like pattern (hence the name “stellatum”) is formed. There are about 150 species of dictyostelids worldwide, and approximately 30 species are known to occur in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Ten of these, including Dictyostelium stellatum, are species new to science.
From The Kingdom of Rarities (2013, p. 14, Island Press)
