Distribution of Hemlock Mortality in Cataloochee Valley
Sutton R. 2018. Distribution of Hemlock Mortality in Cataloochee Valley. Highlands Biological Station, University of North Carolina. Highlands, North Carolina
ABSTRACT: In southern Appalachian forest communities, the Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) and Carolina Hemlock (Tsuga caroliniana) are in decline due to the effects of the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (Adelgis tsugae), an invasive pest native to East-Asia. Hemlocks are a keystone species in forest communities, existing as a canopy buffer for shade-tolerant species, acting as a riparian buffer for sedimentation, and many other functional roles. Hemlock mortality has been mapped using topographical characteristics, but not extensively. In the time frame of the present study, 12,000 dead Hemlocks were identified from an aerial photo of Cataloochee Valley and the surrounding area. A majority of trees were found in clustered variety, at high elevations on north facing slopes, and within 20 m of streams. The analysis of hemlock mortality assists in furthering the spatial mapping of the impacts of HWA in the southern Appalachians.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Sutton, Ryan
- Date of Issue
- 2018
- Publisher
- Highlands Biological Station, University of North Carolina
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- ArcGIS, Carolina Hemlock, Cataloochee Valley, Eastern Hemlock, GRSM-02057, Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, remote sensing, Southern Appalachians, spatial pattern, topography, tree mortality, Tsuga canadensis