RUI: Studies of Neotropical Myxomycetes

新热带粘液霉菌的研究原生粘菌是一种类似真菌的生物，通常存在于陆地生态系统中并经常丰富。已知的与特定类型陆地生态系统相关的粘菌组合大多来自对温带森林的研究；关于与热带森林相关的组合的信息相对较少。这项研究项目试图确定与新热带地区尚未调查的微生境和植被类型有关的物种组合的特征。将特别侧重于与热带潮湿森林树冠上的各种微生境有关的物种集合，以及热带干燥森林中可能存在的黏菌微生境和新热带较干旱地区特有的其他类型植被。这项研究将在三个主要研究地区进行：波多黎各的卢基洛实验森林、哥斯达黎加的瓜纳卡斯特保护区和墨西哥中东部特拉斯卡拉州的一部分。将在实地收集与每个研究区域内的特定微生境有关的标本，并从用正在调查的微生境的有机物质样品制备的潮湿室内培养中获得标本。大多数要调查的微生境都是可以从地面上到达的。然而，进入热带森林的树冠是极其困难的。因此，与各种树冠微生境相关的研究将在受活跃伐木影响的地区进行(即在树木倒地后尽快从每棵树上收集样本)。由美国国家科学基金会较早前资助的研究项目积累的数据为一些以前没有报道的黏菌的生态模式提供了证据。其中最重要的是(1)物种丰富度和[特别是]相对丰度随着水分条件的减少而增加(而不是如预期的那样增加)，(2)在热带森林中，不同的粘菌组合与温带森林中没有的微生境有关。与这些“新的”微生境相关的粘菌组合的特征是，存在大量的物种，要么是科学上的新物种，要么是以前被认为极其罕见的物种。预计在该项目期间进行的研究将包括以前没有调查过的所有主要新热带植被类型，将产生必要的数据，以相当全面地了解粘菌在世界这一地区的分布模式、生态和多样性。该项目将包括几名本科生作为积极参与者，并将继续与墨西哥、波多黎各、哥斯达黎加、英国、西班牙、俄罗斯和德国的科学家开展合作。

STUDIES OF NEOTROPICAL PLASMODIAL SLIME MOLDSThe plasmodial slime molds are fungus-like organisms usually present and often abundant in terrestrial ecosystems. Most of what is known about the assemblages of slime molds associated with particular types of terrestrial ecosystems has been derived from studies in temperate forests; relatively little information is available on assemblages associated with tropical forests. This research project seeks to characterize the assemblages of species associated with microhabitats and vegetation types not yet investigated in the Neotropics. Particular emphasis will be directed towards the assemblages of species associated with various microhabitats in the canopy of tropical moist forests and microhabitats potentially available to slime molds in tropical dry forests and other types of vegetation characteristic of more arid areas of the Neotropics. The research will be carried out in three primary study areas: the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico, the Guanacaste Conservation Area in Costa Rica, and a portion of the state of Tlaxcala in eastern central Mexico. Specimens associated with specific microhabitats within each of these study areas will be collected in the field and obtained from moist chamber cultures prepared with samples of organic material from microhabitats being investigated. Most of the microhabitats to be investigated are accessible from the ground. However, gaining access to the canopy of a tropical forest is exceedingly difficult. Consequently, studies associated with various canopy microhabitats will be carried out in areas being subjected to active logging (i.e., samples will be collected from individual trees as soon as possible after a tree has fallen to the ground).The data accumulated as a result of the research project funded by an earlier NSF grant provided evidence for a number of ecological patterns not previously reported for slime molds. The most important of these are that (1) species richness and [especially] relative abundance increase with decreasing (and not increasing, as might have been anticipated)with moisture conditions and (2) in tropical forests, distinct assemblages of slime moldsare associated with microhabitats that have no counterparts in temperate forests. The assemblages of slime molds associated these "new" microhabitats are characterized by the presence of significant numbers of species either new to science or previously considered to be exceedingly rare. It is anticipated that the research to be carried out during this project, which will include all of the major Neotropical vegetation types not previously investigated, will yield the data necessary to develop a fairly complete understanding of slime mold distribution patterns, ecology, and diversity in this region of the world. The project will include several undergraduates as active participants, and collaborations developed with scientists in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, England, Spain, Russia, and Germany will be continued.