U.S.-Mexico Cooperative Research: Studies on the Taxonomy and Distribution of Mexican Ascomycetes

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

9512783 Hanlin This Americas Program award will support collaborative research between Dr. Richard Hanlin of the University of Georgia, and Dr. Miguel Ulloa Sosa of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), to conduct studies on the taxonomy and distribution of Mexican ascomycetes. The ascomycetes constitute the largest of the major group of fungi and are important ecologically as primary decomposers of plant debris, and economically as the causal agents of serious crop and human diseases. It is proposed to study the distribution and occurrence of ascomycetes in tropical forests of southern Mexico, with emphasis on species associated with higher plants. These studies are of great urgency in view of the rapid destruction of tropical habitats. The data obtained from this project will add to our knowledge of the distribution and identity of tropical ascomycetes, and will permit comparison of the Mexican forest mycobiota with that of other tropical areas similarly studied. In addition to contributions to mycology, ecology, and plant pathology, the results from this work will help to increase our understanding of the biodiversity of tropical forests. ***