Collaborative Research: Ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity of the central Guiana Shield

该奖项由2009年美国复苏和再投资法案(公法111-5)资助。“该项目将记录外生菌根真菌(EM)的多样性，这是一组重要的共生真菌，与南美洲东北部圭亚那中部的多种寄主植物有关。众所周知，新热带森林蕴藏着高度的动植物生物多样性，但人们对这些森林中真菌的多样性知之甚少或一无所知。研究小组将结合传统的真菌孢子果(蘑菇)调查和使用DNA序列检测菌根真菌的分子方法，提供有史以来第一个关于新热带森林EM真菌多样性的完整文件。具体目标包括开发一个可上网的数据库，记录低地新热带森林的EM真菌多样性，包括关键植物和真菌物种的身份。该项目还将为10多名圭亚那和美国博士后、研究生和本科生提供分类学、分子生物学和热带生物多样性研究培训，还将支持对圭亚那几名土著副分类学家的培训。通过提供有关真菌生物多样性和以EM为主的独特生境的基本信息，该项目还将有助于为圭亚那的保护工作提供信息，并提供有助于重新造林新热带退化生境的本土新热带EM真菌和植物的详细信息。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."This project will document diversity of ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi, an important group of symbiotic fungi associated with a broad range of host plants in the central Guiana Shield (Guyana) of northeastern South America. Neotropical forests are known to harbor high levels of biodiversity in plants and animals, yet little or nothing is known about the diversity of fungi from these forests. The investigator team will combine traditional fungal sporocarp (mushroom) surveys with molecular methods that detect mycorrhizal fungi using DNA sequences to provide the first-ever complete documentation of EM fungal diversity from neotropical forests. Specific aims include development of a web-accessible database with documentation of EM fungal diversity in lowland neotropical forests, including the identities of key plant and fungal species. This project will also provide taxonomic, molecular biology, and tropical biodiversity research training for over 10 Guyanese and US postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate students, and also will support training of several indigenous parataxonomists in Guyana. By providing basic information on fungal biodiversity and unique EM-dominated habitats, this project will also help to inform conservation efforts in Guyana, and provide detailed information about native neotropical EM fungi and plants useful for reforestation of degraded habitats in the neotropics.