Microhabitat distribution of protostelids in temperate habitats in northwestern Arkansas

Protostelids are unicellular slime molds that belong in a monophyletic grou p, the Eumycetozoa. A standardized technique was developed for the study of protostelid communities from the leaf litter and aerial microhabitats of f orests and grasslands in northwestern Arkansas. Protostelium mycophaga Oliv e and Stoian and Soliformovum irregularis (Olive and Stoian) Spiegel were m ore abundant in grasslands, while Schizoplasmodiopsis pseudoendospora Olive , Martin, and Stoian, Nematostelium ovatum (Olive and Stoian) Olive and Sto ian, and Echinosteliopsis oligospora Reinhard and Olive were more abundant in forests. Some species of protostelids exhibited a preference for either the aerial microhabitat, e.g., P. mycophaga and Soliformovum irregularis, o r the litter microhabitat, e.g., N. ovatum and Schizoplasmodiopsis pseudoen dospora. Other species, including Cavostelium apophysatum Olive, Tychospori um arachisporum Spiegel, Moore, and Feldman, and Schizoplasmodium cavosteli oides, were present in both microhabitats.