Ash Resources at Great Smoky Mountains National Park What`s at

Ash Resources at Great Smoky Mountains National Park What`s at

National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Ash Resources at Great Smoky Mountains National Park
What’s at stake?
Glenn Taylor - Biologist
EXPERIENCE
YOUR
AM ERI CA
Ash Species in GRSM
White ash (Fraxinus americana)
common, wide-range of elevations
Minor component in many vegetation typesA dominant species in cove hardwood and hemlock forests
Green ash (F. pennsylvanica)
infrequent, low elevation
Alluvial flood plains
Green Ash is an important component of a critically imperiled forest type in
the park- montane floodplain slough forest
Pumpkin ash (F. profunda)
extirpated, low elevation
Selected white ash forest types:
Southern Appalachian Cove Forest (Typic Montane Type)
Rich Low-Elevation Appalachian Oak Forest
Appalachian Montane Oak
Southern Appalachian Cove Forest (Typic Foothills Type)
Appalachian Montane Alluvial Forest
Ridge and Valley Dry-Mesic White Oak-hickory Forest
Southern Appalachian Northern Hardwood Forest (Rich Type)
Montane Sweetgum Alluvial Flat
Southern Appalachian Eastern Hemlock Forest (Typic Type)
Southern Appalachian Acid Cove Forest (Typic Type)
Blue Ridge Calcareous Shale Slope Woodland (Shrubby Type)
Eastern Native Tree Society- (ENTS)
Ash Fraxinus (two species)
1. White ash Fraxinus americana
Ht
Circ
165.8’ 12’ 5.0” NC Big Creek, Cataloochee, Haywood Co; Blozan 12/7/03
155.2’ N/A
NC Bettis Branch, Haywood Co. Blozan; Coyle & Busch 1/3/04
148.2’ 4’ 8.0” NC Baxter Creek, Cataloochee, Haywood Co; Blozan & Coyle
11/12/03
142.1’
NC Baxter Creek, Haywood Co; Blozan & Davie 6/23/02
139.5’ 10’ 4.0” NC Baxter Creek, Cataloochee, Haywood Co; Blozan & Coyle
11/12/03
138.9’ 6’ 10.0” NC Bettis Branch, Haywood Co; Blozan, Coyle & Busch 1/3/04
135.8’ 13’ 2.0” TN Ramsay Prong, Sevier Co; D&J Riddle Apr 2001
2. Green ash Fraxinus pennsylvanica
139.0’ 9’ 6.0” NC Big Creek, Cataloochee , Haywood Co; Blozan & Coyle
1/17/04
134.9’
7’
0”
NC Big Creek, Cataloochee, Haywood Co; Blozan & Coyle
1/17/04
83.0’ 12’
2.0” TN Cades Cove, Blount Co; Blozan 6/8/96
http://www.nativetreesociety.org/
Ash in Vegetation
Communities
Cove hardwood:
white ash 79,000 Ac
N hardwood, Hemlock,
Floodplain forests: ash
minor component 33,000 Ac
Wildlife value of Fraxinus
Birds- game, passerines, cavity nesters
Mammals- deer, squirrels, rabbits
Invertebrates-
How important to invertebrates?
A recent Ohio State University study found that 286
arthropod species associate with ash and of these 44 species
are specific to ash (Herms/Gandhi, 2009)
No formal surveying for ash invertebrates has been
completed in the Smokies but a proposal to survey hosts of
ash and walnut is under consideration for NPS funding
Phoebetron pithecium - Monkey Slug
Euclea delphini i- Spiny oak slug
Ectropis crepuscularia - Saddleback looper
Hypagyrtis unipunctata - One-spotted variant
Erannis tiliaria - Linden looper
Ennomos magnaria - Maple spanworm
Ennomos subsignaria - Elm spanworm
Tetracis cachexiata - White slant line
Eutrapela clemataria - Purplish brown looper
Nematocampa resistaria - Filament bearer
Apatelodes torrefacta- Spotted Apatelodes
Olceclostera angelica - The Angel- only ash
Tolype velleda - Large Tolype
Malacosoma disstria - Forest Tent Caterpillar
Ash caterpillar hosts Wagner, 2005
and lilac
Citheronia regalis - Hickory horned devil (Regal or Royal walnut moth) – Ash, butternut, walnut, et
Antheraea polyphemu s- Polyphemus moth
Callosamia promethea - Promethia moth
Hyalophora cecropia - Cecropia moth –declining due to gypsy moth biocontrol fly Compsilura concinnata
family hosts
Sphinx chersis - Great ash Sphinx- olive family hosts
al
Ceratomia undulosa - Waved sphinx- olive
Sphinx gordius - Apple Sphinx
Sphinx kalmiae - Fawn Sphinx - olive family hosts
Acronicta americana - American dagger moth
Acronicta impleta - Yellow haired Dagger moth –walnut, ash
Harrisimemna trisignata - Harris’ Three spot
Lithophane antennata - Ashen pinion
Lithophane patefacta - Branded pinion
Lithophane querquera - Shivering pinion
Melanchra assimilis - Black Arches
Orthosia hibisci - Speckled Green Fruitworm
Crocigrapha normani - Norman’s quaker
Achatia distincta - Distinct Quaker
Morrisonia confuse - Confused woodgrain
Hyphantria cunea - Fall webworm
Halysidota tessellaris- Banded Tussock moth
Lophocampa caryae - Hickory Tussock moth
Papilio glaucus - Eastern tiger swallowtail
Ash as a cultural resource- Cherokee
Native American use of ash
Medicinal properties- depression, fatigue, wound treatment, tonic,
fever reducer
Products- arrow shafts, bows, pipe stems, spoons, basketry
GRSM Frontcountry Campgrounds
165 sites
220 sites
142 sites
159 sites
92 sites
Number of campers who brought firewood
from EAB/TCD quarantined areas in 2011
Balsam
Mtn
Cades
Cove
5/14-6/18
5/13-10/17
Smoke
Cosby Deep Cr Elkmont mont
6/3-6/17
1*/34 384*/1114 1/11
3%
34%
9%
*one was
lumber
4/1-5/15
4/28-10/9 5/19-10/29
0/10 219/1029 5/365
0
21%
1%
*6 lumber or
USDA cert
Abrams Creek, Look Rock, Big Creek, Cataloochee are self registration