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2002 All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) Grant Awards

Blood-sucking Flies and Their Endosymbionts

Will K. Reeves & Peter H. Adler, Clemson University

Hematophagous arthropods are important pests and vectors of pathogens. The symbiotes of these flies are important because they can impact the behavior and fitness of infected flies. Vector-borne pathogens of animals and humans are routinely introduced or reintroduced into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Hematophagous Diptera were collected by trapping adults, baiting, or hand sampling appropriate habitats. Overall, nine families and 108 species of blood-sucking Diptera were found in the Park, and at least 30 species of symbiotes were associated with them.

Preliminary Inventory of the Planthoppers (Fulgoroidea: Hemiptera) of the
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Charles R. Bartlett, Corresponding author, and Jacob E. Bowman University of Delaware

The objectives of the study were to produce a preliminary inventory of the fulgoroid species and to estimate the actual richness through a species accumulation curve and a series of sample-based richness estimators. Three investigators took sweep samples from 28 localities throughout the Park with all specimens of the target taxon retained. This preliminary inventory obtained 1,290 specimens, representing 8 families, 23 genera and 37 species. Species accumulation curves and nine estimators of species richness were explored, all of which predicted a species richness of approximately 50 species (range of estimates 44-58 species). This approximation probably underestimates the true species richness of planthoppers because of seasonal, spatial and methodological limitations of this initial estimate.

Tardigrade Inventory – Year 2

Paul J. Bartels, Warren Wilson College

Tardigrades were sampled from 14 ATBI plots, as well as in the dolomitic caves around Cades Cove. Doryphoribius sp. was a new record for North America. The result of the samples is a database of 1590 specimens of tardigrades, which was used to determine the tardigrade species richness and diversity in the park. In the future the GIS data will allow for distribution models of the tardigrades.

Coleoptera Taxonomic Working Group (TWIG)
at the Louisiana State Arthropod Museum (LSAM)

Christopher E. Carlton, Louisiana State University

The objectives of this study were: 1) Continue the sorting, processing, and distribution activities at the Louisiana State Arthropod Museum; 2) Enhance communication and cooperation among Coleoptera Taxonomic Working Group (TWIG) cooperators through the use of the TWIG website that was established during year one of this project; 3) Continue field research designed to survey beetle habitats in GSMNP that may not be covered by the park's established collecting protocols; and 4) Prepare two publications describing previously undescribed species from GSMNP.

In addition to the four flight intercept traps set up during the first week, fieldwork included collecting forest litter samples from the east, southeast, and southern areas of the park. In summary, 190 species new to the park were logged into our list during the 2002-2003 funding period. Five species new to science were added, bringing the total number of new taxa discovered during the past two years to eight new species and one new genus. Total beetle species documented for GSMNP stands at approximately 1300.


A Checklist of the Insect Fauna Associated with Eastern Hemlock,
Tsuga canadensis (L.), in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Paris L. Lambdin and Jerome F. Grant, The University of Tennessee

A survey for the insect fauna associated with eastern hemlock was conducted at four sites (two representing mature growth and two representing new growth) and at three alternate sites to provide information on species common on this host tree. The objectives of this project were 1) to develop a species list of insects associated with eastern hemlock, and 2) to compare the insect fauna in relationship to their distribution within the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Insects were sampled using direct observations/sweep-nets, malaise/pan, and pitfall traps. Insects identified from eastern hemlock represented 215 species in 74 families. No significant differences were noted among the number of species among mature and new growth sites.

New Diatom Reports of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
in the Bacillariophyceae genus, Pinnularia.

Susan Makosky & Dr. Rex Lowe, Bowling Green State University

Since ATBI’s conception, our research has identified over sixty new diatom reports from the GSMNP. A recently published report of all the algae recorded from the GSMNP serves as a baseline for our ongoing algae ATBI research (Johansen et al. 2003). Our current research project, Pinnularia within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, will provide additional progress for the ATBI research initiative.

An Investigation of the Bacterial and Archaeal Diversity in Soils and Waters of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Seán O'Connell, Ph.D., Western Carolina University

Seven species of Archaea (six or seven new to science) and 52 species of Bacteria (37 new to science) have been thus far. Seventy-two DNA sequences have been generated to help identify archaeal and bacterial species and will be added to two databases. For organisms that can be cultivated in the laboratory, we are freezing samples away for future studies. For those organisms that resist cultivation (e.g., all Archaea detected thus far) we are archiving DNA samples for future studies as well. Bacteria were collectedin caves, streams, and forest soils, with 52 species identified. Other microbes were taken from bird and bat feces. Some microbes were incubated and tested to be extremophiles, while others were observed for their response to environmental stress.

Mini-Grant Report 2002

Michelle Prysby, Citizen Science Director, Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont

In order to encourage more local schools to participate in the ATBI, we used Discover Life in America mini-grant funding to create an ATBI teacher internship for Summer 2002. Our objectives were: 1) Provide an opportunity for a local teacher to learn about the ATBI and to gain specific scientific skills that can be shared with students; 2) Provide useable data for the ATBI; 3) Continue improving our ATBI activities to make them both more scientifically useful and more educational for participants; 4) Develop a relationship with a local teacher that will facilitate his or her continuing participation in the ATBI and incorporation of ATBI research into the classroom.

Ms. Sarah Doyi, the teacher chosen from a pool of five applicants, came to GSMIT approximately once a week throughout the summer. A highlight of the mini-ATBI was the students’ amazement at the biodiversity in their very urban location. Organisms found included salamanders, a snake, a slime mold, and many plant and invertebrate species. Ms. Sarah Doyi


Lignicolous freshwater meiosporic and mitosporic euascomycetes

Huzefa Raja and Carol A. Shearer, Illinois Natural History Survey

This study sought to inventory the decomposer fungi present in aquatic habitats. The particular group of fungi are microscopic and classified in the class Euascomycetes. These fungi are important in aquatic habitats in breaking down complex plant structural materials such as leaves and wood. As a result of fungal activities, leaves and wood are enriched in nitrogen and made more digestible thereby making them a more nutritious food resource for stream invertebrates.

Submerged wood and leaf litter were collected from lotic habitats during July 2002 and January 2003. A total of sixty-seven meiosporic and mitosporic euascomycetes have been collected thus far. Cyanoannulus petersenii, a new genus of euascomycetes was collected during this inventory. Nine of the sixty-seven fungi reported during the inventory are new records for North America. Fifty-five of the sixty-seven meiosporic and mitosporic euascomycetes are new records for the Great Smoky National Park. Nine taxa were reported previously by Petersen (1978) in his compilation of the checklist of fungi from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.


Taxonomic studies on the Pauropoda (Arthropoda, Myriapoda)
of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Ulf Scheller Ph.D., Häggeboholm, Sweden
DLIA Grant #: 2002-16

Previous collection of Pauropoda fauna in GSMNA used Tullgren type funnels for extraction. The DLIA grant made it possible to visit collecting plots (e.g. Road Prong, Clingmans Dome, Newfound Gap, Greenbrier Cove, Twin Creek, Ravensford) to collect samples manually (from the underside of stones and logs and under the bark of dead trees) and to extract specimens by water flotation. Despite dry soils, Pauropods were found at about 30 different sites. The result of this collecting are hundreds of specimens of 38 species, seven or eight of them new to science, indicating unusually high diversity. Valuable information concerning soil types and vegetation should be documented for use in future description of the Pauropoda fauna of the GSMNP. The time consuming taxonomical study of both the manually collected specimens and the flotation material will begin in early 2003. Then a first manuscript with descriptions of new species will be prepared and forwarded for publication.


Additions to the Lichen Flora of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park

Tor Tønsberg, Bergen, Norway

The aim of this ATBI project in the Great Smoky Mountain Nat. Park in 2002 was to add as many names as possible to the park lichen checklist with emphasis on sterile, corticolous crusts. We reported 41 species and 10 genera of lichens new to the park. Eight species new to science, one species new to North America, and one genus and five species new to eastern North America were found. The park appears to be a diversity center for the genus Lepraria. Substratum is indicated for taxa new to the park. A list of the localities visited is provided. All specimens are georeferenced.