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Studies of Nivicolous Myxomycetes
Steven L. Stephenson
MycoAsia 2025/06.
https://doi.org/10.59265/mycoasia.2025-06
Abstract
During the period from 1985 until 2006, the author had the opportunity to collect and study nivicolous (“snowbank”) myxomycetes in the northern Rocky Mountains, the Himalayan Mountains of northwestern India, the Southern Alps of New Zealand, and the mountains (including Mount Kosciuszko) of southwestern Australia. Members of this ecological group of myxomycetes are largely restricted to alpine areas of mountains, where they are found fruiting along the margins of melting snowbanks in late spring and early summer. He also notes two atypical occurrences of nivicolous myxomycetes.
Plain Language Summary
Over two decades, a researcher collected and studied “snowbank” slime molds (myxomycetes), a unique group of organisms found only in high-altitude environments. These slime molds appear along the edges of melting snow in late spring and early summer. The fieldwork spanned mountain ranges across the globe, including the Rocky Mountains, the Indian Himalayas, and the Southern Alps of New Zealand and Australia. In addition to observing them in their typical alpine habitats, the author also documented two unusual occurrences of these snow-loving organisms in unexpected locations, providing a comprehensive global perspective.
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