Cherokee National Forest Research Articles

Species distribution modeling (Maxent) of Asian longhorned Tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) Ranges in Northeast Tennessee

The invasive Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) is a tick that has been rapidly spreading throughout east Tennessee. This tick originates from northeast Asia with the potential in its home range to spread multiple human diseases. While not observed to date to cause human illness in the United States, laboratory confirmed cases of human pathogen bearing Asian longhorned ticks have been observed. The purpose of this study was to use species distribution modeling (Maxent) to project suitable habitat areas with highest risk for Asian longhorned tick immigration and population establishment throughout northeast Tennessee. Current and future (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5) emissions scenarios were used while including bioclimatic variables reflective of relevant environmental characteristics present in northeast Tennessee. Across all models, suitable habitat for Asian longhorned ticks was seen throughout the area with highest suitability present in the Cherokee National Forest along the North Carolina and Virginia borders. Current climate projections present human risk in rural and sections of metropolitan areas, while future scenarios show progressively increasing risk over time in metropolitan centers. Species distribution models are proposed to be used as an effective tool for active surveillance and control strategies to combat the spread of Asian longhorned ticks.

Development of a ddPCR assay for the detection of the Smoky Madtom (Noturus baileyi) from eDNA in stream water samples

The Smoky Madtom Noturus baileyi is a federally endangered species, whose native distribution includes lower Abrams Creek in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) and Citico Creek in nearby Cherokee National Forest. Due to challenges for bio-monitoring posed by its nocturnality and cryptic life history, an environmental DNA (eDNA)-based approach for detection would be useful to complement existing electrofishing and seining efforts to better understand the distribution of this species. We developed a probe-based droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) assay to detect Smoky Madtoms from non-invasively collected water samples. The assay was specific to N. baileyi and did not amplify concentrated genomic DNA of 16 co-occurring or regional fish species, including the yellowfin madtom N. flavipinnis and stonecat N. flavus. The assay limit of detection (LOD) was determined to be 4.18 copies (95% CI: 3.95, 4.41). Several 2 L water samples collected from throughout various streams in GRSM in 2016 and 2017 were tested for the presence of N. baileyi using the ddPCR assay. N. baileyi was detected at two different sites in 2016 and 2017 within Abrams Creek previously known to contain N. baileyi, but no novel detections in other sampled streams were observed. This assay should prove useful for continued surveys of N. baileyi in GRSM.

Rapid Ecological Integrity Assessment Metrics to Restore Wildlife Habitat and Biodiversity for Shortleaf Pine–Oak Ecosystems

Open woodlands dominated by shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) and oak are historically an important component of the landscape across the southeastern United States. These ecosystems support numerous wildlife species, many of which have declined in recent years as the amount and condition of their habitat have declined. Land managers and private landowners need guidance on how to efficiently and accurately quantify the condition and wildlife habitat value of the pine stands that they manage. Here we provide a set of rapid assessment metrics, based on NatureServe’s ecological integrity assessment (EIA) method, to (a) identify exemplary tracts that provide the best habitat for key wildlife species, and (b) monitor restoration efforts to assess progress toward the improved quality of existing tracts. To ensure an ecologically appropriate scaling of metrics, we distinguished six types of shortleaf pine–oak woodland: A.—Interior Highlands shortleaf pine–oak (including A.1—shortleaf pine–oak forest and woodlands; A.2—shortleaf pine–bluestem woodlands); B—montane longleaf pine–shortleaf pine woodlands; C—southern Appalachian pine–oak woodlands; D—West Gulf coastal plain shortleaf pine–oak woodlands; and E—southeast coastal plain and Piedmont shortleaf pine–oak woodlands. We relied on a narrative conceptual model and peer review-based indicator selection to identify a core set of 15 stand-level metrics (two were optional). Individual assessment points (thresholds) and ratings (Excellent, Good, Fair, and Poor) were developed that were sensitive to the distinct attributes of each of the five shortleaf pine–oak and Appalachian pine–oak types. Values for the metrics can all be collected using rapid field methods, such as using basal area prisms and ocular (visual) estimates of cover. Protocols for the consistent application of these EIA methods are provided. A case study is presented from the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee. These methods provide improved and rapid EIA metrics for all shortleaf pine–oak ecosystems in the southeastern US to help guide conservation-minded landowners in assessing the biodiversity and priority wildlife values of shortleaf pine–oak and southern Appalachian pine–oak ecosystems.

Latter-Day Paradises in the Cherokee National Forest

John Lusk Hathaway's photographic project One Foot in Eden takes as its subject the Cherokee National Forest and its visitors, who use this place extensively for day tripping and recreation. Largely a rural, undeveloped place, the waterways that appear time and again in Hathaway's explorations are part of a system of reservoirs built by the Tennessee Valley Authority for flood control and hydroelectricity generation a century ago. Built and unbuilt environments in One Foot in Eden speak to bigger questions about our existence as organic beings in a world increasingly given over to the high-modern ideology that drives mammoth undertakings like the TVA. Hathaway's images are suggestive of a deep-seated human need to connect with the world around us, evoking ideas like E. O. Wilson's biophilia.

Survival and Conflict Behavior of American Black Bears after Rehabilitation

ABSTRACTWildlife agencies face difficult situations when orphaned or injured American black bear (Ursus americanus) cubs (<12 months old) or yearlings (≥12 and <24 months old) are captured. One option is bear rehabilitation, the care and feeding of cubs or yearlings in a semi‐natural environment, followed by release. Unfortunately, the survival and movements of bears released from rehabilitation facilities are often poorly documented and the ultimate reasons for success or failure poorly understood. Our goal was to assess survival and post‐release conflict of orphaned bear cubs and yearlings following release from a rehabilitation facility, Appalachian Bear Rescue (ABR), in Townsend, Tennessee, USA, from 2015–2016. We predicted that rehabilitated bears would survive at similar rates, die from similar causes, and engage in similar conflict behavior to wild conspecifics. We equipped 42 black bear cubs and yearlings from ABR with global positioning system‐collars and released them in Great Smoky Mountains National Park or Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee and North Carolina, USA. Estimated annual survival using known‐fate methods for all released bears was 0.93 ± 0.06 [SE]). Survival for 13 bears released as cubs was 0.64 ± 0.14, whereas none of the bears released as yearlings died within 1 year after release (n = 29). Survival of rehabilitated bears was similar to or higher than published rates for wild conspecifics. Three of 42 bears (7.1%) released from ABR engaged in conflict behavior up to 1 year following release, and those had spent time involved in conflict behavior with their mothers (e.g., approaching humans) prior to being orphaned. Despite not having the typical post‐natal experience with their mothers, the bears in our study appeared to behave and survive similarly to their wild conspecifics. Rehabilitation is effective for managing orphaned or injured bears. Best survival occurred for bears released as yearlings; however, managers can maximize cub survival through fall releases when plentiful wild foods are available. © 2019 The Authors. The Journal of Wildlife Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Wildlife Society.

Importance of demographic surveys and public lands for the conservation of eastern hellbenders Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis in southeast USA.

Comparisons of recent and historic population demographic studies of eastern hellbenders Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis have identified significant population declines and extirpations associated with habitat degradation, poor water quality and disease, leading to nomination as a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act. However, populations in the southern Appalachian region of the range have received less attention despite relatively high levels of watershed protection due to the establishment of federally protected National Forest and National Park public lands. These watersheds likely represent some of the best remaining available habitat, yet the lack of published studies make assessment of population stability and viability very difficult. Our objectives were to (1) conduct a capture-mark-recapture (CMR) demographic study and a point transect survey on the Hiwassee River in Tennessee which is designated a National Scenic River, and is largely contained within the Cherokee National Forest, (2) quantify the size structure of the population, (3) compare abundance, survival and recruitment with historic and contemporary hellbender populations across the range, (4) assess the importance of this population and the significance of National Forest and National Park lands in the context of hellbender population conservation in the southeastern United States. We detected all age classes present, with larval hellbenders comprising 21.5% of captures. Using a combination of static life table and CMR methods, we determined that survival rates during the first year were low (~10%), but were high (68–94%) for taggable sized hellbenders. Density of hellbenders at the study site was very high (84 taggable sized hellbenders per 100m of river) compared to recent demographic studies conducted in other regions of the range. We detected hellbenders over ~28 km of river, with a mean density of 23 taggable sized hellbenders per 100m of river, and a total population estimate of 6440 taggable hellbenders. National Forest and National Park lands are likely to continue to play a particularly important role in providing suitable habitat for hellbenders in the southern Appalachians. In fact, only six of 21 known hellbender locations in Tennessee appear to show consistent larval recruitment, all of which are located within or adjacent to National Forest or National Park land.

Unlikely Pairings, and: Reading Together

Unlikely Pairings, and: Reading Together Gail Tyson (bio) UNLIKELY PAIRINGS Building on the rubble of our lives,we grope for solace in unlikely pairings like a cinderblock cavern signed Ammo& Marital Aids, or these boys dowsing paint chips in Ace Hardware for their band's name—Buckram Binding, Hubbard Squash—hoping it might open doors in Nashville, milesfrom meth labs infesting hollers, those porches where they learned to pick and slide. I hitchonto their hope, let it tow me down the years to the swimming hole and the old tire I'd ride—swinging away from the bank with a whoop, then a plunge, my lithe body breakingthe ice-green water, never looking back. [End Page 52] READING TOGETHER Out the window, hoarfrost beards the mountain;inside, Buck stove flames ripple, dog snores,brandy flares in throat. Snug in twin armchairs, we dwell in two worlds: your Vikings pillage,slaughter; my plucky English detectivescours the village, building her case. Shared solitude anchors us, as alwaysuntil I look across the room, studythe face I've loved for twenty years, turned inward, lured to a faraway placebeyond my reach, and foreboding chills,wills the woman on my page to stow away on your longship, under the dragon-head bow,determined to solve this mystery:how in an instant six feet between us gapes, silence flat and sharp as a blade. [End Page 53] Gail Tyson Gail Tyson shares a log cabin in the Cherokee National Forest, East Tennessee with her husband and border collie. She has published poetry in America, Kindred, Naugatuck River Review, Pilgrimage, and Still: The Journal. Copyright © 2017 Berea College

High elevation watersheds in the southern Appalachians: Indicators of sensitivity to acidic deposition and the potential for restoration through liming

Southern Appalachian high elevation watersheds have deep rocky soils with high organic matter content, different vegetation communities, and receive greater inputs of acidic deposition compared to low elevation sites within the region. Since the implementation of the Clean Air Act Amendment in the 1990s, concentrations of acidic anions in rainfall have declined. However, some high elevation streams continue to show signs of chronic to episodic acidity, where acid neutralizing capacity (ANC) ranges from 0 to 20μeqL−1. We studied three 3rd order watersheds (North River in Cherokee National Forest, Santeetlah Creek in Nantahala National Forest, and North Fork of the French Broad in Pisgah National Forest) and selected four to six 1st order catchments within each watershed to represent a gradient in elevation (849–1526m) and a range in acidic stream ANC values (11–50μeqL−1). Our objectives were to (1) identify biotic, physical and chemical catchment parameters that could be used as indices of stream ANC, pH and Ca:Al molar ratios and (2) estimate the lime required to restore catchments from the effects of excess acidity and increase base cation availability. We quantified each catchment’s biotic, physical, and chemical characteristics and collected stream, O-horizon, and mineral soil samples for chemical analysis seasonally for one year. Using repeated measures analysis, we examined variability in stream chemistry and catchment characteristics; we used a nested split-plot design to identify catchment characteristics that were correlated with stream chemistry. Watersheds differed significantly and the catchments sampled provided a wide range of stream chemical, biotic, physical and chemical characteristics. Variability in stream ANC, pH, and Ca:Al molar ratio were significantly correlated with catchment vegetation characteristics (basal area, tree height, and tree diameter) as well as O-horizon nitrogen and aluminum concentrations. Total soil carbon and calcium (an indicator of parent material), were significant covariates for stream ANC, pH and Ca:Al molar ratios. Lime requirement estimates did not differ among watersheds but this data will help select catchments for future restoration and lime application studies. Not surprisingly, this work found many vegetation and chemical characteristics that were useful indicators of stream acidity. However, some expected relationships such as concentrations of mineral soil extractable Ca and SO4 were not significant. This suggests that an extensive test of these indicators across the southern Appalachians will be required to identify high elevation forested catchments that would benefit from restoration activities.

Small-Mammal Mortality Caused by Discarded Bottles and Cans along a US Forest Service Road in the Cherokee National Forest

Abstract Discarded containers along primary and secondary roadways trap and kill small mammals, and recently, small-mammal remains were found in containers along roadside pull-offs in more remote areas. We investigated the effects of containers along 7.9 km of a graveled, 2-lane forest service road in a remote area of the Cherokee National Forest, TN. We examined 2997 containers, of which 107 containers had 202 small-mammal skulls representing 8 species of mammals including Sorex fumeus (Smoky Shrew), Sorex longirostris (Southeastern Shrew), and Synaptomys cooperi (Southern Bog Lemming), which are deemed species of greatest conservation need and in need of management by the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency. Our observation of Southern Bog Lemming mortality due to container debris is the first report of collection of this species from bottles. We recorded the first observation of shrew mortality caused by aluminum cans, where 1% of all aluminum cans contained shrew skulls. Unlike previous studies, we qua...

Preserving a Landmark

A historically important open-spandrel concrete arch bridge in Tennessee’s Cherokee National Forest has been preserved and rehabilitated through a strategic combination of hydrodemolition, innovative cast-in-place concrete, and prefabricated components. Constructed over an unpredictable river, the project also included the construction and modification of a temporary haul road and the stabilization of a riverbank.

Improved forest change detection with terrain illumination corrected Landsat images

An illumination correction algorithm has been developed to improve the accuracy of forest change detection from Landsat-derived reflectance data. This algorithm is based on an empirical rotation model and was tested on Landsat image pairs over the Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee; Uinta–Wasatch–Cache National Forest, Utah; San Juan National Forest, Colorado; and Sinkyone Wilderness State Park, California. The illumination correction process successfully eliminated correlation between Landsat reflectance and illumination condition. Comparison to forest-change maps derived from uncorrected images showed significant disagreement, ranging from 23% to 45%. Validated against high-resolution (1m or less) time-serial images, the illumination correction decreased overestimation of forest gains and losses and improved specificity in detection of major forest changes. The overall accuracy increases 34% at the Cherokee Forest site and about 10% at the other three sites. The disagreement rate between change maps from the original and corrected Landsat images increased with increasing terrain inclination angle, with the relationship between illumination condition and the disagreement rate following a V-shaped curve that varied among sites. The lowest disagreement rate occurred when illumination condition was slightly smaller than that of a horizontal field. The correction for topographic illumination should be considered as a standard pre-processing step for land cover classification and land use change detection, especially for mountainous areas.

Prevalence ofSalmonellasp. Isolated fromCryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensisin Eastern Tennessee

Abstract Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis (Eastern North American Hellbender) were collected from the Little River of the Great Smoky National Park (n = 22) and the Hiwassee River of the Cherokee National Forest (n = 30), TN. The cloaca of each animal was swabbed for Salmonella culture and identification. No Salmonella was identified from any of the samples. The prevalence of Salmonella in Hellbenders may be higher than reported here since feces were not collected and animals were only sampled once. Park visitors should still take precautions to protect themselves from water-borne zoonotic pathogens.

FOREST MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES AND SONGBIRD BREEDING HABITAT ON THE CHEROKEE NATIONAL FOREST, TENNESSEE

We used a 60-yr forest simulation of the Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee, USA, to model the effects of timber harvest and natural disturbance upon habitat availability for 6 songbird species: Acadian flycatcher (Epidonax virescens), blue-headed vireo (Vireo solitarius), chestnut-sided warbler (Dendroica pensylvanica), tufted titmouse (Parus bicolor), yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), and yellow-throated warbler (Dendroica dominica). Forest simulations, based on expected harvest intensities and historic levels of natural disturbance, were used to update a stand inventory database at 10-yr intervals between 1993 and 2053. Habitat models for the 6 bird species were applied to the updated stand inventory and available habitat quantified for each decade. Late-successional species showed substantial increases in habitat availability over the 60-yr period at most harvest intensities, whereas habitat for early-successional species was stable or declined at most harvest intensities. Acadian flycatcher, yellow-throated warbler, and blue-headed vireo habitat increased by 200%, 213%, and 40%, respectively, whereas tufted titmouse habitat remained relatively constant at expected harvest levels. Chestnut-sided warbler habitat was stable at expected harvest levels but declined at lower harvest intensities, and yellow-billed cuckoo habitat declined by 37% at expected harvest levels. Natural disturbance had little effect on habitat availability for any bird species compared to the effects of timber harvests and increasing forest age. Our models suggest that anthropogenic disturbance, and lack thereof, can play a definitive role determining habitat availability and population viability for forest songbirds.

GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER BREEDING HABITAT CHARACTERISTICS AND NEST SUCCESS IN CLEARCUTS IN THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS

Abstract Despite widespread population declines, few studies have sought to quantify nesting habitat and reproductive characteristics of Golden-winged Warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera). We characterized territory and nesting habitat and measured productivity in forest regeneration areas in the Nantahala National Forest, North Carolina, and Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee, during 1997–1998. We located 82 territories and monitored 23 nests. Golden-winged Warblers occupied young stands with low basal area and annually mowed daylit roads (roads mowed wider than the track to facilitate drying), and nested in sites with high herbaceous density compared to unoccupied regeneration areas. Nest sites had fewer saplings and less canopy cover than the surrounding territory. Overall nest success was 72.5% and nests fledged an average of 3.65 young. Recently harvested forest stands (age ;le13 yr) with herbaceous cover on logging roads and log landings provided habitat capable of supporting Golden-winged Warbler repr...

Effects of Forest Roads on Macroinvertebrate Soil Fauna of the Southern Appalachian Mountains

Abstract: Many forested landscapes are fragmented by roads, but our understanding of the effects of these roads on the function and diversity of the surrounding forest is in its infancy. I investigated the effect of roads in otherwise continuous forests on the macroinvertebrate fauna of the soil. I took soil samples along transects leading away from the edges of unpaved roads in the Cherokee National Forest in the Southern Appalachian mountains of the United States. Roads significantly depressed both the abundance and the richness of the macroinvertebrate soil fauna. Roads also significantly reduced the depth of the leaf‐litter layer. These effects persisted up to 100 m into the forest. Wider roads and roads with more open canopies tended to produce steeper declines in abundance, richness, and leaf‐litter depth, but these effects were significant only for canopy cover and litter depth. The macroinvertebrate fauna of the leaf litter plays a pivotal role in the ability of the soil to process energy and nutrients. These macroinvertebrates also provide prey for vertebrate species such as salamanders and ground‐foraging birds. The effect of roads on the surrounding forest is compounded by the sprawling nature of the road system in this and many other forests. My data suggest that even relatively narrow roads through forests can produce marked edge effects that may have negative consequences for the function and diversity of the forest ecosystem.

Landscape ecosystem classification in the Cherokee National Forest, east Tennessee, U.S.A.

A landscape ecosystem classification is described for the 43 800 ha Foothills section (elevation 305 to 610 m) of the southern unit of the Cherokee National Forest. Vegetative cover, landform, and soils data were obtained from sixty 0.04 ha plots located in stands representing late successional stages. Vegetation data were grouped by dominant cover type utilizing agglomerative, hierarchical clustering and detrended correspondence analysis. Detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA) and stepwise discriminant analysis (SDA) were used to identify patterns in species composition explained by environmental variables.Four community types were identified: (1) Tsuga canadensis-Acer saccharum-Fagus grandifolia-Fraxinus americana, (2) Tsuga canadensis-Rhododendron maximum, (3) Quercus prinus, and (4) Quercus prinus-Quercus coccinea-Acer rubrum. A recently developed "Landform Index" that quantifies slope type and degree of protection by adjacent land masses was identified through DCCA and SDA as the most important predictor of community types. The strength of the correlations between elevation and several soil thickness variables with DCCA axis 1 indicated that vegetation varies along an interpreted moisture gradient. No ecological meaning was attributed to the second axis.

Histosols of High Elevations in the Tennessee Blue Ridge

Organic soils have been observed occasionally by soil surveyors in the Tennessee Blue Ridge, but most were not large enough to delineate as separate map units. An area of dysic, Lithic Borofolists was mapped in the Cherokee National Forest in Greene County, at elevations around 4,400 ft. The mapping unit was named Borofolist-rock outcrop complex, 20 to 50% slopes, windswept, and occurred in a frigid area along the crest of the Bald Mountains. These soils ranged from less than 10 to about 30 in. deep, and consisted of extremely acid fibric, hemic, and sapric materials overlying massive quartzite bedrock. Mineral soil horizons occurred in the lower parts of some profiles. The parent material was litter from rhododendron, mountain laurel, various ferns, mosses, and under-story plants. Although of small extent, this is an interesting ecosystem composed of fragile soils that could be destroyed if disturbed significantly.

Pre and Post Breakup Movements and Space Use of Black Bear Family Groups in Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee

Pre and Post Breakup Movements and Space Use of Black Bear Family Groups in Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee

THE SLIGHTED MOUNTAINS OF UPPER EAST TENNESSEE*

ABSTRACT The United States of America owns nearly 150,000 hectares of mountain land in northeastern Tennessee. Administered as the northern half of the Cherokee National Forest, these lands were purchased primarily between 1915 and 1941 under Weeks Act authority. The United States Forest Service has not established the intensive forestry that it originally hoped to bring to this area, nor has it created the jobs that it once planned. But the land is in far better condition than it was eighty years ago. An urban forest more than a tree farm, this national forest is still to be appreciated.

Fall Foods of European Wild Hogs in the Southern Appalachians

A study was conducted to determine fall food habits of European wild hogs (Sus scrof) in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Seventy-three hog stomachs were collected dunng big game hunts on the Tellico Wildlife Management Area, Cherokee National Forest. Principal plant foods were acorns ( Quers spp. ) and hickory nuts (Carys spp. ) and the principal imal food was invertebrates. Plant and animal foods constituted 89.4 and 6.4 percent respectively, in volume of total foods consumed. The degree of competition for mast between hogs and native wildlife nnay depend on the quantity and quality of the annual mast crop. The relationships of hogs with native fauna and flora should be investigated before hogs are transplanted into unoccupied habitat. A thorough food habits study is fundamental in delineating the life history and determining managemerst objectives for the European wild hog. Although this animal has been established in the southern Appalachian Mountains of southeastern Tennessee for approximately 50 years, little is known of its food habits. This study was undextaken to determine the seasonal utilization of plant and animal items by the European wild hog in the southem Appalachian Mountains. Only fall food habits are considered. Because of the interest in transplanting European wild hogs to other areasn information conceining its relationships with native fauna and flora is imperative. Appreciation is extended to Dr. G. H. Matschke former project leader, who collected most of the stomachsv to L. A. Hunt and J. D. Morris, Game and Fish Commission employees, for assistance with the analytical procedures; and to Judith D. Way, University of Tennessee, for identifying the invertebrates. We thank Dr. M. R. Peltonn University of Tennessee7 for reading the manuscript and offering suggestions, 1A contribution from Tennessee Federal Aid Project W-34-R, Game Management Division, Research Section. 2 Prewsent address: U.S.D.A., Forest Service, Federal Building, Lufldn) Texas. 854 and L. J. Korsehgen, Missouri Department of Conservationt for adviee in analyzing the data.