Tree Canopy Biodiversity
Islands in the Sky
- Training for this science method is provided by Central Missouri State University.
- Safety - before heading out on the trail please see "For Your Safety".
- Everyone collecting specimens in the Park is required to obtain a collecting permit. This can be applied for online on the National Park Service Research Permit and Reporting System.
Harold W. Keller, Ph.D.
Adjunct Professor of Biology Department of Biology and Earth Science Central Missouri State University
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 Three CMSU climbers  Former CMSU student Melissa Skrabal |
The project titled “Biodiversity and Ecology of Tree Canopy Biota in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park ” is funded by the National Science Foundation, National Geographic Society, and Discover Life in America . The research team led by Central biology faculty members Harold Keller, Stephen Wilson and Joseph Ely are conducting the first tree canopy survey and inventory of myxomycetes, fungi, mosses,liverworts, lichens, ferns, insects and molluscs in the eastern United States .
Students have discovered new species and published their findings in scientific journals. These species assemblages and communities are important because they include some that are biological indicators of environmental degradation due to acid rain, sulfur and nitrogen dioxide deposits, ozone, and other pollutants.For more information on these student discoveries visit Biodiversity and Ecology of Tree Canopy Biota in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and learn about the many exciting discoveries that await us in the tree canopy!
The complete curriculum vitae of Harold W. Keller is located at the faculty web site address shown above. Publications from the last three (3) years are listed here to highlight the involvement of biology undergraduate and graduate students.
