Distribution and ecology of protostelids in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

In Oct. 2000 and Nov. 2003 samples for isolation of protostelids were collected from throughout Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Collecting sites included examples of all major forest types found in the park along with a number of non-forest vegetation types at 460-1920 m above sea level. Most samples consisted of aerial litter (dead but still attached plant parts) and ground litter, but some samples of the bark from living trees and coarse woody debris also were collected. Twenty-six of the 32 described species of protostelids were recovered, along with five species that appear to be new to science. Of the 205 cultures analyzed, 177 (86.5%) yielded protostelid fruiting bodies with an average of 3.22 species per sample. Protostelium mycophaga was the most frequently observed species followed by Soliformovum irregularis and Schizoplasmodiopsis pseudoendospora. Differences in protostelid community diversity and species richness were found between the aerial litter and ground litter microhabitats of primary plant tissues, between primary tissues and bark of living trees, between bark from angiosperms and bark from gymnosperms, and between primary tissues and coarse woody debris.