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 (EM) 真菌的多样性，这是一组重要的共生真菌，与南美洲东北部圭亚那地盾中部（圭亚那）中部的多种寄主植物相关。众所周知，新热带森林拥有高水平的动植物生物多样性，但人们对这些真菌的多样性知之甚少或一无所知。研究小组将传统的真菌子实体（蘑菇）调查与使用 DNA 序列检测菌根真菌的分子方法相结合，以提供新热带森林的 EM 真菌多样性的首次完整记录，具体目标包括开发一个可通过网络访问的数据库，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。 10 圭亚那和美国的博士后、研究生和本科生，还将支持培训圭亚那的几位土著副分类学家。通过提供有关真菌生物多样性和独特的EM主导栖息地的基本信息，该项目还将有助于为圭亚那的保护工作提供信息，并提供有关本土新热带EM真菌和植物的详细信息，有助于在新热带地区退化的栖息地重新造林。

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.