RUI: Studies of Neotropical Myxomycetes

新向性疟原虫黏菌的研究疟原虫黏菌是一种真菌样的生物，通常存在于陆地生态系统中，而且数量很多。 大多数已知的与特定类型的陆地生态系统相关的黏菌组合来自温带森林的研究;相对较少的信息与热带森林相关的组合。 该研究项目旨在描述与新热带地区尚未调查的微生境和植被类型相关的物种组合。 将特别强调与热带潮湿森林冠层中各种微生境有关的物种组合，以及热带干燥森林和新热带较干旱地区其他类型植被特征中可能供黏菌使用的微生境。 研究将在三个主要研究区域进行：波多黎各的卢基略实验森林、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。 将在实地收集与这些研究区域内特定微生境相关的标本，并从潮湿室培养物中获得，所述潮湿室培养物用来自正在调查的微生境的有机材料样品制备。 大多数要调查的微生境都可以从地面进入。 然而，进入热带森林的树冠层是非常困难的。 因此，与各种树冠微生境有关的研究将在受到积极采伐的地区进行（即，在树木倒下后，将尽快从每棵树上收集样本）。这项由美国国家科学基金会早期资助的研究项目所积累的数据为黏菌的一些生态模式提供了证据，这些模式以前没有报道过。 其中最重要的是，（1）物种丰富度和[特别是]相对丰度增加减少（而不是增加，因为可能已经预期）与水分条件和（2）在热带森林中，不同的组合黏菌与微生境，没有对应的温带森林。与这些“新”微生境相关的黏菌组合的特征是存在大量的物种，这些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。 预计将在本项目期间进行的研究将包括以前未调查过的所有主要新热带植被类型，将产生必要的数据，以便对世界这一地区的黏菌分布模式、生态和多样性有一个相当完整的了解。该项目将包括几名大学生作为积极的参与者，并与墨西哥，波多黎各，哥斯达黎加，英国，西班牙，俄罗斯和德国的科学家合作将继续发展。

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.