Aquatic oligochaetes represent the most diverse, widely distributed group of segmented worms (Phylum Annelida) in freshwater habitats in North America .   Over 200 species of freshwater oligochaetes (13 families, 75+ genera) occur in North America ; no published papers, however, have addressed the biodiversity of aquatic oligochaetes in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park . Our research on the distribution of oligochaetes in the Park (1999 through 2003) has been supported, in part, by annual mini-grants from Discover Life In America, Inc.   The website: < http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/~mjwetzel/AOGSMNP.home.html > summarizes results of our research to date, including georeferenced locality information for 112 sites; methodologies; list of species occurring regionally; species collected in the Park during this research; funding; pertinent literature, presentations and publications; and public outreach opportunities aligning this research with the ATBI Science Plan.   Funding in 2004 will support continuing surveys for oligochaetes in the Park, concentrating on low gradient streams, springs, and wetland habitats.   Crayfishes will be collected to obtain branchiobdellidans (worms on crayfishes that are related to oligochaetes) in anticipation of funding from the National Science Foundation to study the taxonomy and distribution of these worms – those occurring in the Park, and elsewhere in the world, leading to a monograph on this group.

Collectors List: CollectorList.pdf

Family Count Graph: FamilyCountAcGraph.pdf

Genera of Largest Family Graph: GenusCountAcGraph.pdf

Project Information: ProjectInfo.pdf

Species by Month: CountsPerSpeciesByMonth.pdf

Species Ranking: SpeciesDistributionRanking.pdf

Species Report: Taxonomy.pdf

Principal Investigator

PI Name:  Mark J. Wetzel

PI Organization:  Illinois Natural History Survey