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
E X P E R I E N C E Y O U R A M E R I C A
Ash Species in GRSM
White ash (Fraxinus americana) common, wide-range of elevations Minor component in many vegetation types- A 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 Ash caterpillar hosts Wagner, 2005 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 and lilac Tolype velleda - Large Tolype Malacosoma disstria - Forest Tent Caterpillar Citheronia regalis - Hickory horned devil (Regal or Royal walnut moth) – Ash, butternut, walnut, et al Antheraea polyphemu s- Polyphemus moth Callosamia promethea - Promethia moth Hyalophora cecropia - Cecropia moth –declining due to gypsy moth biocontrol fly Compsilura concinnata Ceratomia undulosa - Waved sphinx- olive family hosts Sphinx chersis - Great ash Sphinx- olive family hosts Papilio glaucus - Eastern tiger swallowtail 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
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 Cades Smoke Mtn Cove Cosby Deep Cr Elkmont mont 5/14-6/18 5/13-10/17 6/3-6/17 4/1-5/15 4/28-10/9 5/19-10/29 1*/34 384*/1114 1/11 0/10 219/1029 5/365 3% 34% 9% 0 21% 1%
*one was *6 lumber or lumber USDA cert
Abrams Creek, Look Rock, Big Creek, Cataloochee are self registration