AGARIC DIVERSITY IN THE AGARIC DIVERSITY IN THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS

NATIONAL PARKNATIONAL PARK

PART OF THE GSMNP ALL PART OF THE GSMNP ALL TAXA BIODIVERSITY TAXA BIODIVERSITY INVENTORY (ATBI)INVENTORY (ATBI)

PROJECT GOALS

• Three years of collections by experts in various groups of agaric fungi

• Databasing of current and past collections

• Bar coding of species using ribosomal ITS region

• Species pages available on web

TENN

• Tennessee herbarium web site lists 1500 species from the GSMNP

• Goal – to link to photos and records in next three years

SPONSORSKaren HughesRon PetersenEd Lickey

Gymnopus – 450 sequencesCollybiaOmphalotus Artomyces (Clavicorona)LentinellusLentinulaXerulaRamaria

PARTICIPANTSAime, Cathy – Rusts and CrepidotusAmmirati, Joe - CortinariusBaroni, Tim – EntolomaBuyck, Bart – Russula / Lactarius Caranza, Julietta - TrametesCifuentes, Joaquin - GeneralHalling, Roy – Gymnopus and othersHorak, Egon - GeneralKerrigan, Rick - AgaricusLodge, Jean - HygrophoraceaeMata, Juan Luis - GymnopusMatheny, Brandon - InocybeMcCleneghan, Coleman - PholiotaMethven, Andrew - LactariusOvrebo, Clark - TricholomaTulloss, Rod -AmanitaVerbaken, Anameka – Russula /Lactarius

COVERAGE

Andrew Miller - Pyrenomycetes

TWO PROBLEMS FOR BARCODING USING THE ITS REGION

PROBLEM 1

INABILITY TO DISTINGUISH SOME APPARENT MORPHOSPECIES (GYMNOPUS SECT LEVIPEDES)

• But – does distinguish a number of Gymnopus collections previously grouped as the same morphospecies (cryptic species)

TWO PROBLEMS FOR BARCODING USING THE ITS REGION

PROBLEM 2

THE ITS REGION IN COLLECTIONS FROM THE GSMNP HAS RELATIVELY HIGH LEVELS OF HETEROZYGOSITY FOR INDELS.

•Requires cloning with its attendant problems

Cortinarius sp. = 31.3%

Lactarius sp. = 25.0%

Hygrophorus = 57.7%

Saprobes = 28.5%

PROPORTION OF COLLECTIONS FROM THE GSMNP THAT WERE ALREADY REPRESENTED IN GENBANK

[98% CONGRUENCE WAS ARBITRARILY CONSIDERED TO BE CONSPECIFIC]

• 159/533 MATCHED SPECIES IN GENBANK• 23/533 MATCHED UNNAMED ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES

• 351/533 HAD NO MATCH IN GENBANK

FOR AGARICS, SEQUENCE COVERAGE IS STILL SIGNIFICANTLY INCOMPLETE

GSMNP BAR CODING PROJECT?

• Home of an ATBI

• Center of Biodiversity

• Highly varied terrain /ecosystems

• Nice collecting spot

• Good field station

• On the ground help

• Need I say more?