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2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment

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2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Great Smoky Mountains National Park - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment Great Smoky Mountains National Park 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment SITE INFORMATION Country: United States of America (USA) Inscribed in: 1983 Criteria: (vii) (viii) (ix) (x) Stretching over more than 200,000 ha, this exceptionally beautiful park is home to more than 3,500 plant species, including almost as many trees (130 natural species) as in all of Europe. Many endangered animal species are also found there, including what is probably the greatest variety of salamanders in the world. Since the park is relatively untouched, it gives an idea of temperate flora before the influence of humankind. © UNESCO SUMMARY 2020 Conservation Outlook Finalised on 04 Dec 2020 GOOD WITH SOME CONCERNS The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is inscribed on the World Heritage List for its scenery and biodiversity. The scenic vistas offered by the park are largely maintained, with incremental improvement in pollution legislation and practice in recent decades making marked improvements in air quality, which has reduced haze despite ongoing visitor management issues and the threats affecting forests which are such a feature of the scenery, most notably seen in the remnant dead pines protruding from forest canopies. The biological values are in variable condition across the wide range of ecosystems contained within the site. Mesic systems such as Cove forest, which covers the largest area of any ecological system in the site, are generally in good condition, whilst the more xeric systems such as low-altitude pine and dry oak forests are showing concerning departures from their natural state. Threats driving these concerns include a host of invasive species in the form of insects, pathogens, mammals, fish and plants, which have compounded existing impacts of air pollution and the resulting deposition of toxins, the legacy of an unnaturally altered fire regime, and the escalating effects of climate change. The park's attributes are being conserved by a world-class park management authority and its NGO partners with measures to tackle this broad array of threats to the extent possible at the site level. However, reduced federal budgets for the conservation of nature, which cannot be supplemented by park-entrance fees, and the complex and resource intensive nature of management requirements in the site limit the efficacy of management interventions despite the competance of staff. Overall, the Conservation Outlook for Great Smoky Mountains National Park is assessed as good with some concerns on the basis that the scenario has not deteriorated significantly since the previoius Outlook assessment in 2017. However, multiple persistent threats and corresponding incremental deterioration of some the site's values are such that without changes to critical policies to ensure the IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Great Smoky Mountains National Park - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment conservation outlook for this biological gem, this site may be of significant concern in the future. IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Great Smoky Mountains National Park - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment FULL ASSESSMENT Description of values Values World Heritage values ▶ Exceptional natural beauty Criterion:(vii) The site is of exceptional natural beauty with scenic vistas of characteristic mist-shrouded (“smoky”) mountains, vast stretches of virgin timber, and clear running streams (World Heritage Committee, 2018). It is one of the most pristine natural areas in the eastern U.S., offering park visitors breathtaking mountain scenery, including panoramic views of misty peaks, clear flowing mountain streams, and mature hardwood forests stretching to the horizon. The Park encompasses 800 square miles of pristine natural areas with peaks that range from elevations of 875 feet to 6,643 feet, including 16 peaks over 6000 feet in elevation. ▶ Outstanding example of the diverse Arcto-Tertiary Criterion:(viii) geoflora era Great Smoky Mountains National Park is of world importance as the outstanding example of the diverse Arcto-Tertiary geoflora era, providing an indication of what the late Pleistocene flora looked like before recent human impacts (World Heritage Committee, 2018). The Great Smoky Mountains are believed to be 200-300 million years old making them among the oldest mountains in the world. During the last (Pleistocene) ice age, about 10,000 years ago, the glaciers that scoured much of North America allowed for the migration of species into the Smoky Mountains and because of the unique northeast to southwest orientation of the mountains the glaciers did not invade the Smoky Mountains. This created not only unique mountain features, but also a vast diversity of flora and fauna (IUCN, 1982). ▶ Significant example of continuing biological evolution Criterion:(ix) Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the largest remaining remnants of the diverse Arcto- Tertiary geoflora era in the world, providing a good indication of the appearance of late Pleistocene flora. 30% of the forested landscape of the park is ancient old growth forest. The Park is large enough to be a significant example of continuing biological evolution of this natural system and is of the one of the most ecologically rich and diverse temperate zone protected areas in the world (World Heritage Committee, 2018). ▶ Diversity of Flora Criterion:(x) An average of 85” of rainfall annually, the variations in elevation, temperature, and geology provide ideal habitat for over 1300 native vascular plant species, including 105 native tree species, plus nearly 500 species of non-vascular plants; a level of floristic diversity that rivals or exceeds other temperate zone protected areas of similar size. In addition, the park has a vast number of non-flowering plants, including 450 bryophytes-mosses, liverworts, and a few hornworts. Non-flowering species also include some 50 ferns and fern allies and at least one horsetail. There are three federally listed threatened and endangered plant species, and in addition over 300 species of native vascular plants are considered rare (GSMP, 2012). ▶ Diversity of mammals and birds Criterion:(x) Research indicates that there are 65 species of mammals and over 200 varieties of birds in the Park. Within the boundaries of the Park there are a number of threatened or endangered species. There are IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Great Smoky Mountains National Park - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment 15 animal species listed as Federal Species of Concern found in the Park (GSMP, 2012). ▶ Diversity of reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates and Criterion:(x) aquatic fauna The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most biologically diverse parks in a temperate climate. The Park is also home to the world’s greatest diversity of salamander species (31) - an important indicator of overall ecosystem health - and is the center of diversity for lungless salamanders, with 24 species (World Heritage Committee, 2018). Within the boundaries of the Park there are a number of threatened or endangered species including 3 fish species. Assessment information Threats Current Threats High Threat The scenery of the Great Smoky Mountains has suffered from high ambient levels of air pollution and corresponding haze, although this has improved over recent decades. At higher levels this is exacerbated by the sight of dead Fraser fir trees, killed by a non-native insect. The park's ambience is also adversely affected by high levels of visitation and associated traffic noise. However, the major threat to the site's Outstanding Universal Value comes from a diverse array of invasive species that include non-native mammals, fish, insects, fungi and other pathogens. These species have damaged a significant number of ecosystems in the park to varying degree, including aquatic habitats, riparian vegetation, the high-altitude zone and the mid-slopes. In particular, Fir trees, hemlock, native trout, and bats have been significantly affected, but represent just some of the species that are deteriorating as a result of invasive species. The cumulative impact of these invasive species combined with the stress produced by air pollution and a changed fire regime constitute a high threat to the attributes which qualified the park for listing under criteria (ix) and (x). ▶ Tourism/ visitors/ recreation High Threat (Heavy visitation of the park impacts facilities, infrastructure, Inside site, localised(<5%) natural assets close to roads, and ambience) Visitation to the national park is consistently above 10 million people per annum, with a new record of over 12.5 million set in 2019 (NPS, 2020b). This contributes to localized on-the-ground impacts, primarily in high-use areas (NPS, 2016) and the park has noted in the past that "congestion inside and outside of the park detracts from scenic beauty" (NPS, 2016). The park reports an increase in vandalism and graffiti on tunnels, walls, and boulders (NPS, 2016). As of 2016, budgets and staffing had not increased to match increases in visitation and maintenance costs (NPS, 2016) and in 2018, the park had over $235 million in deferred maintenance of infrastructure (NPS, 2018). However, in June 2020, the U.S. Congress passed the Great American Outdoors Act, which "establishes the National Parks and Public Land
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