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Big Creek Rare Assessment

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Big Creek Rare Assessment Rare Communities and Species of the Big Creek Watershed The Cherokee National Forest (CNF) Revised Land and Resource Management Plan designates certain habitats as rare biological communities and provides for their maintenance and restoration under the 9F prescription. Rare communities are groupings of plants and animals that contribute significantly to biological diversity even though they are generally confined to small areas. The Big Creek (BC) watershed includes a wide variety of habitats from a deep stream and river gorges to high elevation balds, resulting in a scattering of rare communities. Rare Communities Laurel Branch, Gulf Branch, and Raven Cliffs Three areas with cliffs are known from the BC watershed. The cliffs at Laurel Branch and Gulf Branch are dry rock outcrops below the crest of ridges along Round Mountain. The Raven cliffs are in the Trail Fork gorge and appear to have some dry areas as well as some wet slopes where small streams flow down the walls of the gorge. These steep to vertical or overhanging rock outcrops are examples of Southern Appalachian montane cliffs. They are usually on lower slopes, particularly in river gorges or bluffs. Vegetation is sparse, growing on bare rock, small ledges, and crevices, and is made up primarily of bryophytes, lichens, and herbs, with few trees and shrubs rooted in crevices and deeper soil pockets (NatureServe 2007). Eastern small-footed bat, a Forest Service sensitive species, roosts in the crevices of some of these cliffs. Max Patch A Southern Appalachian grassy bald occurs at Max Patch. Balds occur in the Southern Appalachian on high elevation peaks and saddles. These balds are characterized by strong winds, high moisture, shallow rocky soils, and cold temperatures. Herbaceous vegetation dominates these areas, particularly sedges and grasses, and shrubs may be scattered throughout. Plants found include a mixture of widespread species, northern type species, and southern Appalachian endemic species. Non-native invasive species may remain from past grazing (NatureServe 2007). Livestock grazed on Max Patch in the past, then the Forest Service aquired the land in the early 1980’s. The majority of the bald is in North Carolina and is managed by the Pisgah National Forest. William’s Mine Natural bat habitats such as caves and large hollow trees are scarce due to habitat alteration and are vulnerable to human disturbance. Although mines are man-made, they are important for bats displaced from their natural habitats. Abandoned mines often provide climates similar to caves and are used for maternity sites, hibernation, night roosts, and migratory stopovers (USDA Forest Service 2004). An abandoned barite mine with multiple openings is located in the BC watershed. Several species of bats use this mine, including one rare species. Human disturbance is not evident at this location currently. Hurricane Branch Table Mountain–pitch pine forests occur along the Round Mountain Road above Hurricane Branch. These pine woodlands, occurring over a dense shrub layer, on sharp ridges, mostly above 2000 feet elevation are endemic to the Southern Blue Ridge. They are maintained by periodic fire or extreme site conditions. Recent studies show that acreage has decreased due to fire suppression, and that many of the remaining forests have substantial hardwood invasion. Lightning-set and high-intensity controlled burns are necessary to maintain and re-establish this community type. In addition, recent pine beetle outbreaks have killed off large areas of this community type (1998-2003) in the Southeast (NatureServe 2007). The table mountain-pitch pine forest in the Hurricane Branch area is threatened by the lack of fire resulting in woody encroachment, succession, and potential forest conversion to a different community type. Rare Species National Forest Management Act and USDA regulation 9500-004 (1983) require that habitats on national forests be managed to support viable populations of native and desired nonnative species. These regulations focus on the role of habitat management in providing for species viability. Supporting viable populations involves providing habitat in amounts and distributions that can support interacting populations at levels that result in continued existence of the species well distributed over time. The Southern Appalachian region supports extremely high levels of biological diversity relative to other regions, both nationally and globally. The BC watershed has an good diversity, with many rare species. No federally listed species are known to occur in the BC watershed, but 59 species from the CNF Species Viability List (USDA Forest Service 2004) and/or Tennessee State list have been detected so (Table 1). Table 1. Viability concern species in the BC watershed. Scientific Name Common Name FS Status* Amphibians Cryptobranchus alleganiensis Hellbender VC Desmognathus carolinensis Carolina mountain dusky salamander S Desmognathus ocrophaeus Mountain dusky salamander VC Plethodon teyahalee Southern Appalachian salamander S Birds Caprimulgus carolinensis Chuck-wills-widow VC Caprimulgus vociferus Whip-poor-will VC Certhia americana Brown creeper VC Colinus virginianus Northern bobwhite VC Corvus corax Common raven VC Dendroica fusca Blackburnian warbler VC Empidonax minimus Least flycatcher VC Pooecetes gramineus Vesper sparrow VC Regulus satrapa Golden-crowned kinglet VC Scolopax minor American woodcock VC Sitta canadensis Red-breasted nuthatch VC Sitta pusilla Brown-headed nuthatch VC Sphyrapicus varius appalachiensis Appalachian yellow-bellied sapsucker VC Troglodytes troglodytes Winter wren VC Insects Speyeria diana Diana fritillary S Mammals Lontra canadensis River otter VC Myotis leibii Eastern small-footed bat S Napaeozapus insignis Woodland jumping mouse VC Neotoma floridana haematoreia Southern Appalachian woodrat VC Sorex cinereus Masked shrew VC Spilogale putorius Spotted skunk VC Zapus hudsonius Meadow jumping mouse VC Reptiles Crotalus horridus Timber rattlesnake VC Snails Mesodon andrewsae Balsam globe VC Mesomphix andrewsae Mountain button VC Mesomphix latior Broad button VC Mesomphix subplanus Flat button VC Ventridens lawae Rounded dome VC Vertigo bollesiana Delicate vertigo S Vascular Plants Arnoglossum muehlenbergii Great Indian plantain VC Botrychium matricariifolium Chamomile grape fern VC Buckleya distichophylla Piratebush S Carex appalachica Appalachian sedge VC Carex scabrata Rough sedge VC Castanea dentata American chestnut VC Chelone lyonii Pink turtlehead VC Scientific Name Common Name FS Status* Crysosplenium americanum Golden saxifrage VC Diphylleia cymosa Umbrella leaf VC Eupatorium steelei Steele's joe-pye-weed VC Heracleum maximum Cow parsnip VC Hieracium scabrum Rough hawkweed VC Heuchera longiflora var. aceroides Maple-leaf alumroot S Hypericum mitchellianum Mitchell’s St. John’s-wort S Isotria verticillata Large whorled pogonia VC Juglans cinerea Butternut S Liparis liliifolia Large twayblade VC Listera smallii Kidney-leaf twayblade VC Lycopodium clavatum Ground pine VC Saxifraga careyana Golden-eye saxifrage VC Scutellaria saxatilis Rock skullcap S Silene ovata Mountain catchfly S Stachys clingmanii Clingman’s hedge-nettle S Stellaria alsine Trailing stitchwort VC Trillium undulatum Painted trillium VC Triphora trianthophora Nodding pogonia VC * S - Forest Service Sensitive, VC – Viabilitly Concern Literature Cited NatureServe 2007. Explorer: An online encyclopedia of life [web application]. Version 6.2. Arlington, Virginia, USA. Available: http://www.natureserve.org/explorer. USDA Forest Service. 2004. Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Revised Land and Resource Management Plan, Cherokee National Forest. Management Bulletin R8-MB 114B. Prepared by: /s/Marcia S. Carter MARCIA S. CARTER North Zone Biologist March 24, 2008 .
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