Great Smoky Mountains National Park: the People's Park
Keller HW and Barfield KM. 2017. Great Smoky Mountains National Park: the People's Park. Fungi. 10(2):44-64
ABSTRACT: Early history of the park is described from the Cherokee Native Americans to the American pioneer settlers who developed their own mountain culture. Settlement of the Cades Cove area is told through the preservation, restoration, and pictures of homestead buildings. The tragic impact of the logging period and clear cutting in the early 1900s removed a significant portion of the giant trees and old- growth forest. Establishment of the park is highlighted through the efforts of different people in Tennessee and North Carolina that helped to raise money to purchase the land and create public interest in the concept of a park. Geological, physical, and natural history features of the park include the formation of mountains, streams, waterfalls, the Appalachian Trail, the appearance of autumn foliage colors, and activities of synchronous fireflies. The All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) organization, concept, and description of the taxonomic groups are discussed. The first tree canopy study in the park includes taxonomic groups represented by ferns, bryophytes, fungi, myxomycetes, myxobacteria, slugs and snails, and tardigrades.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Keller, Harold; Barfield, Keri
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory, APHN, Appalachian Highlands Network, ATBI, biodiversity, BRIT, bryophytes, Cades Cove, ferns, fireflies, fungi, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, GRSM, GRSM-00068, lichens, mollusks, Myxomycetes, SER, Southeast Region, tardigrades, tree canopy, waterfalls