Algal Biodiversity in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

摘要- DEB 0315979 A基金已授予雷克斯L博士。鲍林绿色州立大学的罗威和约翰卡罗尔大学的杰弗里约翰森博士在大烟山国家公园（GSMNP）发现和记录新的藻类物种。 在学生和教师的协助下，Lowe和Johansen将对河流进行广泛而详细的调查，溪流和瀑布的水花-藻类包括一个多样化的群体，主要是微生物光合生物，构成大多数淡水生态系统食物链的开端，但目前对藻类的了解甚少。公园里有哪些种类的藻类 大烟山国家公园占地50多万英亩，是落基山脉以东最大的连续保护区。 该公园是温带世界最丰富和最多样化的植物和动物的避难所之一，然而，公园中的许多生命形式鲜为人知或完全未被发现。 许多科学家正在努力记录这一重要生态系统的生物多样性。Lowe和Johansen将集中研究两组重要的藻类，硅藻和蓝细菌或蓝绿色藻类。 这两组藻类似乎是GSMNP中最初观察到的最多样化和分布最广的。 最初的调查（其结果可以在万维网上查看）http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/biology/facilities/algae/smokeys/smokeys.html已经发现了许多新物种。本研究结果将有助于更好地了解GSMNP内藻类的物种丰富度和分布格局。

Abstract - DEB 0315979A grant has been awarded to Dr. Rex L. Lowe of Bowling Green State University and Dr. Jeffery Johansen of John Carroll University to discover and document new species of algae in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). Lowe and Johansen, assisted by students and teachers, will be conducting extensive and detailed surveys of rivers, streams and waterfall spray-zones to better understand the patterns of distribution of algae in the GSMNP and to discover and document new species of algae.Algae comprise a diverse group of mostly microbial photosynthetic organisms and constitute the beginnings of food chains in most freshwater ecosystems yet little is currently known about what species of algae are found in the park. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park comprises more than half a million acres and is the largest contiguous preserve east of the Rocky Mountains. The park serves as refuge for one of the richest and most diverse collections of plants and animals in the temperate world, however, many forms of life in the park are poorly known or entirely undiscovered. There is a current effort underway by many scientists to document the biodiversity of this important ecosystem. Lowe and Johansen will concentrate on two important groups of algae, the diatoms and the cyanobacteria or blue green algae. These two groups of algae appear to be the most diverse and wide-spread from initial observations in the GSMNP. Initial surveys (the results of which can be viewed on the World-wide Web) http://www.bgsu.edu/departments/biology/facilities/algae/smokeys/smokeys.html have already resulted in the discovery many new species. The results of this research will provided a greater understanding of the species richness and distribution patterns of algae within the GSMNP.