Field Methods: Fly collections. Drosophila will be collected from forests during summer months (May to October) by sweep-netting or aspirating over naturally-occurring mushrooms. In some instances, boiled and thus killed commercial mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) will be set out as baits. In addition, flies may be bred from field-collected mushrooms. Laboratory maintenance of fly cultures. In the laboratory, the culture medium consists of Instant Drosophila medium (Carolina Biological), a small piece of commercial mushroom, and a dental cotton roll, which serves as a pupation site. Cultures are maintained at 20C, 60%RH, and 14:10 light:dark schedule.

Bird banding data from various research projects conducted within Great Smoky Mountains National Park, including but not limited to studies GRSM-00013, -00014, -00112, -00128, -00163, -00164, -00434, -00570, -00721, -00793, -00857, -00984, -01101, -01804, and -01805. This data is periodically downloaded from the USGS Bird Banding Lab. Most birds were captured in mist nets and fitted with a single metal numeric band. Some individuals were also fitted with plastic colored bands to facilitate identification when seen free in the field. Additional data collected includes species, age, sex, molt, reproductive status, date, capture location, capture time, and/or ectoparasites present.

Field Methods: I will sample salamanders at five locations within Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Collections will take place during June 2015. D. quadramaculatus and D. marmoratus will be located by visually searching streams, stream edges, and beneath rocks within streams. All efforts will be made to minimize impact on the habitat. Each salamander found will be hand-captured and placed in a new, clean plastic bag with a small amount of water to keep their skin moist. Salamanders will then be measured with calipers for snout-vent length, tail length, and cranial length and width. An approximately 5 mm piece of tissue will be removed from the tail tip for use in genetic analyses. To minimize handling stress, salamander measurements and tissue collection will take place in the field, adjacent to capture sites, and salamanders will be released at their point of capture immediately afterwards.

PI aims to collect specimens of selected species of harvestmen/grand-daddy-long-legs (Opiliones) and centipedes (Chilopoda) to better understand their place in the arthropod tree of life. For almost two decades his laboratory has been working on the phylogenetic relationships of centipedes and harvestmen.

PI aims to collect specimens of selected species of harvestmen/grand-daddy-long-legs (Opiliones) and centipedes (Chilopoda) to better understand their place in the arthropod tree of life. For almost two decades his laboratory has been working on the phylogenetic relationships of centipedes and harvestmen.

This project focuses on red spruce (Picea rubens). How does forest fragmentation influence nutrient cycling? How do red spruce trees respond to phosphorous (P) limitation in these systems? If there is evidence for genetic variability in response to P limitation in these systems, it could provide clues to where refuges have evolutionary been found for this declining species. Red Spruce has historically been pushed up in elevation with its range becoming fragmented and limited to mountain tops at the southern range edge. This is of interest to scientists interested in effects of climate warming, i.e. expected pole-ward range shifts. Genetic diversity of populations at the southern end of this species’ range is consequently of importance to the persistence of this species. It was hypothesized in this study that habitat fragment size would influence growth traits. It was found that Red Spruce growth traits were not influenced by habitat fragment patch size (P > 0.05).

This project focuses on red spruce (Picea rubens). How does forest fragmentation influence nutrient cycling? How do red spruce trees respond to phosphorous (P) limitation in these systems? If there is evidence for genetic variability in response to P limitation in these systems, it could provide clues to where refuges have evolutionary been found for this declining species. Red Spruce has historically been pushed up in elevation with its range becoming fragmented and limited to mountain tops at the southern range edge. This is of interest to scientists interested in effects of climate warming, i.e. expected pole-ward range shifts. Genetic diversity of populations at the southern end of this species’ range is consequently of importance to the persistence of this species. It was hypothesized in this study that habitat fragment size would influence growth traits. It was found that Red Spruce growth traits were not influenced by habitat fragment patch size (P > 0.05).

This data set provides sample data and NCBI accession information for genomic sequencing of ptarmigan and grouse from Alaska.

This data set provides sample data and NCBI accession information for genomic sequencing of ptarmigan and grouse from Alaska.

This report contains the first comprehensive study of the fauna of the insect Order Thysanoptera (thrips) in Great Smoky Mountains NP. Forty-nine species were identified at the filing of this report and additional species are reported in publications in the GRSM park library. The IAR contains some natural history information about the species reported.