摘要：The occurrence and distribution of cellular slime molds (CSM) in Ohio have been studied by J. Cavender, C. Hopka, C. Hammer, G. Kauffman, M. Stephenson, and N. Cavender over a 40-year period in order to discover environmental factors important for their ecological survival. Recently (2003) an unglaciated, mixed mesophytic, remnant forest patch, Butterfly Woods (BW) at The Wilds, Muskingum County, a forest which is now surrounded by reclaimed strip mines, was found to have the highest CSM diversity of the 119 sites sampled in Ohio. Nineteen species were found over a period of seven years of soil sample collecting. This compares with a total of 25 occurring in Ohio and is the largest number found so far in any single temperate deciduous forest (<40 ha) in the United States as well as world-wide. Abundance (relative density) of each species measured by the number of clones is very similar to that occurring statewide, but there are some interesting differences. Comparison with ecological distributions in Ohio is used to help explain the co-occurrence of so many species in BW. The reasons why BW is believed to be optimal for CSM biodiversity are: 1) unglaciated soil, unflooded by post glacial lakes; 2) soil with variable pH, slightly acidic to neutral and derived from layered sandstone, limestone, and shale bedrock; 3) east to northeast slope; 4) favorable moisture regime and slightly changing soil conditions from top to bottom; 5) relatively high mixed mesophytic tree diversity as well as herb diversity providing varied microsites; 6) abundant organic matter and well-developed humus and litter layer conducive to bacterial growth; 7) a large ravine which provides increased environmental protection and helps renew nutrient levels; 8) some past disturbance around the borders from agriculture and mining; and 9) a large enough size to conserve CSM biodiversity
