A study of slime moulds (myxomycetes) in Northern Tasmania has found over 10% of the world’s known species including at least one that is new to science.
Slime moulds are ephemeral, unpredictable and intriguing. Their life cycle includes two mobile feeding stages that creep and flow through soil and decaying vegetation devouring bacteria, algae and fungi; and an exquisitely beautiful spore-bearing stage that rarely exceeds 2 mm high. During a seven-year study of acellular slime moulds in the forest surrounding her home, Sarah has amassed more than 1400 collections representing over 10% of the world’s known species including at least one – Alwisia lloydiae – that is new to science.
Sarah Lloyd is a prominent Tasmanian naturalist, writer and photographer whose passion for natural history began in early childhood with a love of birds. Since moving to the wet eucalypt forest at Black Sugarloaf near Birralee in 1988 she has contributed to various bird and fungi monitoring projects and written several popular books on natural history, most recently “The Feathered Tribes of Van Diemen’s Land.” Since 2010 Sarah has been studying acellular slime moulds.
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