threats: disease, exotics, trees,& facts. threats to smokies air pollution, acid precipitation,...

Threats: Disease, Exotics, Trees,& Facts

Threats to smokies

•Air pollution, acid precipitation, exotic species, apathy, lack of funding.

Invasive Exotic Species

• Plants 40 invasive/380 exotic- privet, mimosa, fescue and Johnson grass, Kudzu, tree of heaven, Japanese grass, multiflora rose, garlic mustard, oriental bittersweet, Japanese honeysuckle, musk thistle

Garlic mustard, Kudzu, Mimosa, multiflora rose

Johnson grass, fescue, privet, oriental bittersweet

Dogwood A, Beech scale insect and fungus, Wild Hog

• Destructive non-natives include the balsam woolly adelgid, dogwood anthracnose, Chinese chestnut blight, Dutch elm disease, beech bark disease, hemlock woolly adelgid, and the gypsy moth.

American chestnut

Diseases

•Chestnut blight fungus-killed American chestnut.

•Dutch elm disease-elm trees

Elm trees

• More conspicuous alien species such as wild hogs, rainbow trout, and a host of invasive vascular plants are also damaging natural systems.

Hemlock WA, Gypsy moth, Larvae

BWA

• These unwelcome pests have already caused major forest changes, and they threaten to do even more damage in the immediate future.

• Several common forest ecosystems are threatened by non-native insects and diseases unintentionally imported into north America

Tree identification (intro)

•Best identified by leaves/needles, also bark, shape, size.

Ex. Pine trees-needles in bunches

• Bundle of 5-white pine(3-5in needles)

• Bundle of 2-red pine(4-7in)

• Bundle of 2 jack pine(1in)

• Bundle of 3-loblolly pine(5-9in needles)

White Pine

Jack Pine

Loblolly

Parting facts

• Smokies highest peak- Clingman’s Dome 6,643ft

• Highest Appalachian peak- Mt. Mitchell 6,683ft

• April is peak wildflower month!

Highest Elevation Campsite and Shelter

• Mt. Sterling #38-5820ft

• Mt. Leconte Shelter-6440ft

Top ten peaks (elevation ft)• Clingmans dome- 6,643• Mount Guyot- 6,621• Mount Le Conte (high top)- 6,593• Mount Buckley- 6,580• Mount Love- 6,420• Mount Chapman- 6,417• Old Black- 6,370• Luftee Knob- 6,234• Mount Kephart- 6,217• Mount Collins- 6,118