Date of Award

11-1986

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Biology

Abstract

The flood plain of the James River in Virginia supports a variety of deciduous forest associations and has not been examined previously for dictyostelids. This thesis is primarily concerned with the results of a survey of dictyostelids at selected sites in the James River basin. Some incidental observations concerning possible ecological relationships between dictyostelids are included.

Seven of the plant communities of Virginia described by Harvill, Stevens and Ware (1984) afe present in the areas surveyed and collection sites were established accordingly: (1) Mountain Pine-Oak Heath, (2) Pine-Oak Heath, (3) Oak-Hickory Forest, (4) Alluvial Hardwood Forest, (5) Beech-Maple-Tuliptree Forest, (6) Mixed Mesophytic Forest, and (7) Maple-Basswood Forest. These communities were found in the Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountain provinces of the state. Average annual rainfall and tempefature varied across the survey area from 44.0 inches and 59.5° F in the Coastal Plain to 39.2 inches and 53.8° F in the Appalachian Mountains (National Climatic Data Center, 1985).

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Biology Commons

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