We plan to collect and identify particular groups of fungi growing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. These fungi represent basidiomycetes that mostly grow on dead trees and are responsible for the decay of wood in the forest ecosystem. Some taxa inhabit living trees, causing different diseases. Another study group includes ascomycetes that grow as parasites on macrofungi. Collecting in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is part of worldwide sampling for completing monographic studies on the taxonomy, ecology and distribution of these fungal groups.

This permit was to photograph fungi in the park. No full reports are available, but a file is in with the permits containing paper records of 83 fungal observations, mostly from 2005 and the late 1980s. A permit from 1985 to Dr. Richard D. Jackson, MD, is also included under this study.

This permit was to photograph fungi in the park. No full reports are available, but a file is in with the permits containing paper records of 83 fungal observations, mostly from 2005 and the late 1980s. A permit from 1985 to Dr. Richard D. Jackson, MD, is also included under this study.

PI and his team used ropes to scale trees of primarily five species (ash, tulip poplar, red maple, white pine, and white oak) and describe fungi, myxomycetes (slimemolds), mosses, liverworts, lichens, and ferns from tree canopies and at different heights along the trunk. In addition to basic inventory work, they described a new species of slimemold and determined that slimemold diversity did not change with height on a tree, but did change with the pH of the bark. They found several species that had been rarely encountered in ground-based surveys to be quite common in the canopies. Some sites high in trees built up considerable soil, along with springtails and other soil-dwelling invertebrates.

PI and his team used ropes to scale trees of primarily five species (ash, tulip poplar, red maple, white pine, and white oak) and describe fungi, myxomycetes (slimemolds), mosses, liverworts, lichens, and ferns from tree canopies and at different heights along the trunk. In addition to basic inventory work, they described a new species of slimemold and determined that slimemold diversity did not change with height on a tree, but did change with the pH of the bark. They found several species that had been rarely encountered in ground-based surveys to be quite common in the canopies. Some sites high in trees built up considerable soil, along with springtails and other soil-dwelling invertebrates.

Fruiting bodies (mushrooms) will be collected, photographed, described, dried and accessioned into TENN-Fu (University of Tennessee Herbarium). Collection data will be transmitted to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, will be available via the Tennessee Herbarium web site and via the IDigBio collections portal. For collections that are sequenced, DNAs are stored at -80C at the University of Tennessee and sequences are deposited in GenBank with the annotation Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Fruiting bodies (mushrooms) will be collected, photographed, described, dried and accessioned into TENN-Fu (University of Tennessee Herbarium). Collection data will be transmitted to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, will be available via the Tennessee Herbarium web site and via the IDigBio collections portal. For collections that are sequenced, DNAs are stored at -80C at the University of Tennessee and sequences are deposited in GenBank with the annotation Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Field Methods: I will collect individual sample branches (one for each population to make specimens) and few leaves for the other species without hurting the plants. I would only need population samples for Streptopus lanceolatus, Goodyera pubescens and Gaultheria procumbens. The leaves will be dried in silica gel and for DNA extraction. The species include: Prosartes languinosa, Prosartes matculata, Goodyera pubescens, Gaultheria procumbens, Streptopus amplexifolius, Streptopus lanceolatus.

Ecological generalization, or an increase in niche breadth, has been shown to vary consistently with latitude and elevation. Specifically, comparative studies in plant taxa have documented a strong increase in niche breadth with elevation, often attributed to enhancing the ability to survive in more variable conditions at higher elevations. At present, the following questions remain: [1] Does niche breadth increase with elevation within a single species? [2] Is an increase in niche breadth with elevation adaptive? PI plans to conduct a pilot study in summer 2015 to assess [1] and to inform selection of a potential future study system with which to evaluate [2]. As such, she will examine if the breadth of the germination niche changes along an elevational gradient in multiple species native to the southern Appalachian mountains.