Studying the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest

What can old-growth forests tell us about biodiversity?

I've recently started a new journey in my pursuit of nature-based knowledge, y'all. I'm getting a Graduate Certificate in Natural Resources from Virginia Tech, and I couldn't be more excited!

In my first class, Biodiversity Stewardship, I'm examining the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest as a study subject. I've wanted to visit this area for quite some time, and this seems like the perfect excuse to go "ooooh" and "ahhhhh" at some huge, old-growth forests.

Intro to the Joyce Kilmer Forest

The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest is a large, pristine tract of old-growth forest in the Cheoah Ranger District of the Nantahala National Forest in Western North Carolina. According to the National Forest Service, the 3,800-acre forest ". . .contains magnificent examples of more than 100 tree species, many over 400 years old, and some more than 20 feet in circumference and 100 feet tall." The forest is named for poet and journalist Joyce Kilmer, who authored the poem "Trees" and was killed in action during World War I.

The Joyce Kilmer Forest offers a unique glimpse into the past—a rugged, Appalachian wilderness before the days of lumbering wiped out much of the old-growth forests in the area. As a result, the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area says that "The largest tulip poplars are more than 20 feet in circumference and over 100 feet tall."

This forest fascinates me for a few reasons. Namely, I wonder what these old-growth trees can tell us about conservation practices for other areas, how biodiversity might be different (or the same) in this section of Nantahala compared to others, and how the forest has reacted to challenging blights over the decades that have compromised species such as the American chestnut and the eastern hemlock.

Photo Credit: Smoky Mountain News

Preliminary Thoughts on the Importance of Biodiversity

I'm not sure how to succinctly put into words my initial thoughts on the importance of biodiversity—other than to plainly say that it's a good thing. However, I think that relating biodiversity back to the Joyce Kilmer Forest and the southern Appalachian Mountains in general better illustrates these thoughts.

According to WCU's Highlands Biological Station, "The southern Appalachian Mountains are among the most biologically diverse regions in the temperate world." This diversity includes both the number and abundance of species. Their website also states that "Nearly 10,000 species are known to inhabit the region—and more are discovered each year, some entirely new to science."

One of my favorite species in the Appalachian Mountains is the red spruce fir. A keystone species, they are home to federally-listed species such as spruce-fir moss spider, and Carolina northern flying squirrel. Spruce firs are thought to be relics of the last ice age, which I find endlessly interesting. They exist now in "sky islands" along the highest and coldest peaks of the Southern Blue Ridge. These trees—remnants of an age gone by—are so crucial that their extinction would potentially begin a species-ending domino effect that would totally change the ecology of Appalachia forever. But would it stop there?

Locally, the sky islands would be affected if something catastrophic happened to these trees. Regionally, southern Appalachia would inevitably change. But the domino effect, though it might not be felt as intensely nationally and internationally, would nevertheless occur.

I think about the holes that important species like the red spruce fir would leave in the biological tapestry if they were to go functionally extinct—like the great American chestnut, whose absence in Eastern American forests resulted in a loss of vital nutrients for animals and the extinction of insects that evolved to feed off of the once prevalent tree.

Biodiversity is an indicator of the health of an environment, and it is beneficial to environments on both a micro and macro level. Diversity of species, within species, and the abundance of species are all important facets when studying the biodiversity of a natural area—as we can see in Southern Appalachia when considering keystone species like the red spruce firs and bygone giants like the American chestnut.

All that being said, my initial thoughts on the importance of biodiversity typically surround these species I love so much in the region I call home. Biodiversity is crucial, and it is important that we learn about our local biodiversity and protect it for the greater good of biodiversity on earth.