Integrative Taxonomy and Biogeography of Criconematidae

线虫通常被认为是地球上种类最多、数量最多、分布最广的动物。然而，这一断言并没有得到正式描述的物种数量的有力支持。正式承认的物种和尚未发现的物种之间的差距被称为“生物多样性识别差距”。这一差距被认为是由于难以识别线虫的诊断特征、种内和种间变异重叠以及缺乏从事物种发现和描述活动的分类学家所致。一个尚未得到普遍解决的重要因素是线虫学领域中物种划定的实际过程。这项建议侧重于通过对环科植物寄生线虫中的一组土壤寄生线虫进行综合分类检查来划分物种的作用。物种划定过程将提高我们诊断线虫物种的能力，并有助于植物寄生线虫生物地理学的发展。该项目将包括年轻的有抱负的科学家和使用线虫作为通往微生物世界的桥梁的公民科学家。与非营利组织Discover Life in America一起，将在大烟山国家公园进行调查和研讨会，作为其他公园和保护区的样板。

Nematodes are frequently considered the most diverse, abundant, and ubiquitous animals on earth. This assertion however, is not strongly supported by the number of formally described species. The gap between formally recognized species and species yet to be discovered has been referred to as the "biodiversity identification gap." This gap is thought to exist due to difficulties in identifying diagnostic characters in nematodes, overlapping intra- and inter-specific variation, and the lack of taxonomists engaged in the activity of species discovery and description. An important factor that has not been generally addressed is the actual process of species delimitation in the field of nematology. This proposal focuses on the role of species delimitation through an integrated taxonomic examination of a select group of soil-dwelling, plant parasitic nematodes in the family Criconematidae. The species delimitation process will improve our ability to diagnose nematode species and contribute to the development of a plant-parasitic nematode biogeography. The project will incorporate young aspiring scientists and citizen scientists using nematodes as a bridge to the microbial world. Together with the nonprofit organization Discover Life in America, surveys and workshops will be conducted at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, serving as a model for other parks and preserves.