WPC 2 M B P V ` Courier 10cpi | x ? x x x , k x 6 X @ 8 ; X @ Leonard Krishtalka " 2 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' 4 < D L ! 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' X 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' X X X 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' 3 ' " 4 < D L ! ` h p x (# # x P C X P# 9300798 Mueller This three year project will document the diversity, systematics and geographic distribution of the Agaricales (mushrooms and related fungi) of Costa Rican oak forests. These fungi play a vital role in nutrient cycling, nutrient uptake and decomposition of organic matter in the oak forests of montane Mexico, Central America and Colombia. Costa Rica is an ideal site to obtain some of the essential data on composition, species distribution and host specificity of these fungi in the neotropics; the data can then be applied to other Central and South American oak forests. The project will produce an illustrated manual of these fungi and, importantly, a comprehensive computerized database of morphological, ecological, and distributional data. In country collaboration includes scientists at INBio, the University of Costa Rica, the Organization of Tropical Studies at La Selva and a Costa Rican graduate student. Mycological collections will be deposited in Costa Rica for research and training of students. No similar comprehensive study of fungi has been undertaken in tropical America. %%% The Agaricales mushrooms and related fungi play a vital ecological role in the oak forests of montane Mexico, Central America and Colombia, but no comprehensive study of these fungi has been undertaken in tropical America.. This project will document the diversity of these fungi in Costa Rican oak forests, which are ideal sites to obtain some of the essential data that can then be applied to conservation and sustainable use efforts in other Central and South American oak forests. The project will produce an illustrated manual of these fungi and, importantly, a comprehensive computerized database of morphological, ecological, and distributional data. In country collaboration includes scientists at INBio, the Unive rsity of Costa Rica, and the Organization of Tropical Studies at La Selva. The voucher collections of fungi will be deposited in Costa Rica for research projects and for training of students. ***
