Oconee Bell Distribution in Devil’s Fork State Park, SC Sunny Rae Granger

Park History: Lake Jocassee was created in 1973 by the Duke Power Company as a Abstract: Background Research: means to generate hydroelectric power. It was not until about 15 years As part of an ongoing wildlife protection effort to preserve The Oconee Bell (shortia ago that the park itself was opened to the public after years of careful the Oconee Bell Wildflower in Devil’s Fork State Park, my galacifolia) was first collected consideration and planning. An initial map of the Oconee Bell wildflower GIS project consists of a detailed history of the plant and and examined by the French was created as part of a “Special Species Inventory” in order to protect its location within this area. The park is located in what is botanist Andre Michaux in 1787. this rare foliage during park construction. This map (figure3), and its called the Jocassee Gorges of South Carolina. Over He discovered the species contemporary (figure 4), are of Oconee Bell distribution in Devil’s Fork. ninety percent of the world’s population of the Oconee surrounding the Toxaway and Bell wildflower resides within this area. Visitors can view Horsepasture Rivers in South this rare species on two walking trails: the Oconee Bell Carolina. Not until 1839, Nature trail, and the Bear Cove trail. By using however, did Harvard professor geographical information systems, I have collected GPS Asa Gray give the plant its coordinates of the flower’s locations along the trails and name and full scientific mapped them on a recent aerial photo of Devil’s Fork description. It was later when State Park. This data will be helpful in creating kiosks scientists learned that this plant Figure 2. Oconee Bell Wildflower and visitor information centers that will inform those who is only native to the North come to the park of the Oconee Bell’s importance. Also, Carolina, South Carolina, and the park is in need of an up-to-date map of the two Georgia mountains. It thrives in footpaths. Due to increased visitor traffic and natural moist wooded areas near both erosion processes, some parts of the trails are beginning discontinuous and permanent to show signs of deterioration. In the event of amplified streams. It is a perennial degeneration, some parts of the trails may need to be species with round waxy leaves rerouted in order to protect the plant’s specific habitat. and small white and pink These maps can be used to further minimize human blooms that appear in early impact on the species and create safer viewing areas for spring. those over zealous visitors. Figure 3. Oconee Bell bloom in early spring. Figure 1. Aerial photo of Lake Jocassee and its two nature trails. Figure 4. Oconee Bell distribution Figure 5 Oconee Bell distribution 15 years ago. in 2005.

Data Collection Methods: Using the GIS base layers from Oconee County, I created Results: an initial map of Devil’s Fork State Park and surrounding My task to pinpoint, map, and Acknowledgements: areas. Next I collected data by walking the two nature analyze the location of the I would like to thank Dr. Suresh Muthukrishnan for his trails with a GPS device and recorded every Oconee Bell Oconee Bell wildflower within many hours of assistance and patience with this project. I sighting I encountered. I projected the data using ArcMap Devil’s Fork State Park would also like to thank Singh Roopra for his help with the and created an overlay of the park, local streams, main provides thorough, though Oconee County GIS data. Thanks also to Michael Trotter roads, and the plant species shortia galacifolia. I then preliminary results. for his willingness to help me gather data and historical created a buffer around the parts of the trail that contained Additional trail surveys and Figure 8. Data collection information, and to Chick Gaddy for the use of his the Oconee Bell on either side of the path. GPS mapping are necessary on the Oconee Bell trail. “Special Species Inventory” map. to locate the entire shortia Methodology: galacifolia population within Metadata: the park’s boundaries. The following contain Obtain base layers from Oconee County Though the trails venture very Projected Coordinate close to some colonies, I did System NAD 1983 State not find any damaged plants. Plane South Carolina Data Collection from Devil’s Fork State Park Some areas, however, are FIPS 3900 Feet and being threatened by the Geographic Coordinate creeping paths. The data System GCS North Map and data projection using ArcMap provided can be helpful in the American 1983: Aerial possible rerouting of trail photo, Local roads, Trails,

Buffer appropriate areas containing species paths to avert further impact and Oconee Bell on the species’ habitat, as Figure 9. The view from Figure 6. The above photo was created using Google Earth. It shows the waypoints. the tip of Lake Jocassee. varying elevation profile along the park trails, as well as the surrounding Figure 7. Sequence of major project steps. well as updating older park trail maps. Figure 10. Oconee mountainous terrain of Lake Jocassee. Google Earth Bell colony.