Biodiversity of Tree Canopy Cryptogams in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. (Biology Section).

* Snell, K.L., and H.W. Keller. Department of Biology, Central Missouri State University. BIODIVERSITY OF TREE CANOPY CRYPTOGAMS IN THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK. Cryptogams (myxomycetes, macrofungi, mosses, liverworts and lichens) that live on the bark surface of living trees are often overlooked by conventional biodiversity studies. Density and assemblages of cryptogams in tree canopies represent important baseline data needed to assess environmental changes over time through human encroachment and physical factors that impact the forest ecosystem. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), home to the largest remaining old growth forest in the Eastern United States, was targeted for sampling by a team of student climbers using the double rope technique to reach the upper canopy. Bark samples with cryptogams were collected from over 160 trees at varying heights up to 115 feet. Cryptogam specimens were divided among various expert team members. Expected outcomes of this study include; discove ry of new species and park records, correlation of species to vertical height, and the possible relationships between different taxonomic groups in their observed tree canopy assemblages. Students at CMSU will focus on the myxomycetes (true slime molds) collected in situ from the canopy. Myxomycetes found in treetops differ in number and species diversity when compared to those found on ground sites. Bark samples will be scanned microscopically and cultured in moist chambers to detect small myxomycetes that have gone undetected in the field. Compiling our data of species richness and comparing this with the other taxonomic groups will shed new light on tree canopy biodiversity and any changes over time in this unexplored habitat. Supported by the National Science Foundation, Division of Environmental Biology, Biotic Surveys and Inventories Program Award #0079058.