1 research outputs found
Biogeographical assessment of myxomycete assemblages from Neotropical and Asian Palaeotropical forests
Aim Lowland/highland and Neotropical/Asian Palaeotropical assemblages of
myxomycetes were compared to test the null hypothesis that neither species
diversity nor species composition differs between the two ecoregions. This can
be expected if myxomycetes behave as ubiquists and are capable of unlimited
long distance dispersal.
Location Four pairs (lowland/highland) of comprehensive regional surveys
encompassing c. 7500 specimens were compared; these represented Neotropical
(Yasuni/Maquipucuna in Ecuador; Guanacaste/Monteverde in Costa Rica) and
Asian Palaeotropical forests (Cat Tien/Bi Dup Nui Ba in Vietnam; Chiang Mai
in Thailand/South Luzon in the Philippines).
Methods Each survey was carried out in an area characterized by relatively
homogenous vegetation consisting of natural or near-natural forests, and incorporated both field collecting and the use of moist chamber cultures, and all
observed fructifications were recorded. Analyses of diversity (i.e. richness) and
community composition were carried out with EstimateS and R.
Results Between 400 and 2500 records per survey were obtained. Species accumulation curves indicated moderate to nearly exhaustive completeness (70–
94% of expected species richness recorded). Multivariate analyses suggest that
geographical separation (Neotropic versus Palaeotropic) explained the observed
differences in composition of myxomycete assemblages better than habitat
differences (lowland versus highland forests).
Main Conclusion Both geographically restricted morphospecies and differences in myxomycete assemblages provide evidence that myxomycetes are not
ubiquists but tend to follow the moderate endemicity hypothesis of protist
biogeographyRussian-Vietnamese Tropical Scientific and Technological Centre/[01201255603]//RussiaNational Science Foundation/[DEB-9705464]/NSF/United StatesNational Science Foundation/[DEB-0102895]/NSF/United StatesNational Science Foundation/[DEB-0316284]/NSF/United StatesNational Geographic Society/[8890-11]//United StatesUS-Spain Science and Technology Fulbright Cooperation Program/[Ref.99075]//US-SpainGobierno de España/[CGL2014-52584P]//EspañaUniversidad de Costa Rica/[731-B4-072]/UCR/Costa RicaUniversidad de Costa Rica/[731-B5-062]/UCR/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ingeniería::Instituto Investigaciones en Ingeniería (INII