Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
generate complex soil development and thus the diversity of flora and fauna that
thrive in a particular area. For example, in areas underlain with limestone, surface
water will drain down through openings in the rock affecting the moisture content
of the soil creating particular habitat types. Classifying the physical attributes of
plant and animal communities and understanding the spatial distribution is a chal-
lenge. A better understanding of the distribution and abundance can help to more
efficiently manage and protect the unique flora and fauna and maintain a healthy
ecosystem. In the following case study, we will demonstrate the power of geospatial
technology, including GIS, GPS, and geospatial modelling, to analyze and visualize
the habitat classification of American chestnut in the special landscape settings of
the park.
4.3 Case Study-American Chestnut Habitat Mapping
In recent years, as the development of blight-resistant American chestnut trees by
The American Chestnut Foundation's backcross breeding program has been nearing
fruition, Mammoth Cave National Park has been a site of intensive field research on
this species. American chestnut was historically one of the most ecologically and
economically important trees in the eastern U.S. (MacDonald
1978
). It is known
to have been a component of forests in and around Mammoth Cave National Park
based on the documents recorded by European explorers (Hussey
1884
) and wit-
ness tree data (McEwan et al.
2005
). Chestnut blight (
Cryphonectria parasitica
)
severely decimated chestnut trees in the park during the 1930s and 1940s, and by
the late 1940s nearly all the large chestnut trees were dead (Schibig et al.
2005
).
Throughout its range, this once dominant canopy tree has been reduced mostly to
small trees less than 3 m in height, and its reproduction by seed is now quite rare.
The loss of this historically dominant and important forest species is one of the most
important events in the history of the eastern North American forest. In this project,
we developed and tested a geospatial modeling approach to classify American chest-
nut habitat in Mammoth Cave National Park which would allow us to efficiently
locate new chestnut specimens for the backcross breeding program and to identify
suitable sites for chestnut restoration within the park and in other areas with similar
site conditions.
4.3.1 Field Inventory
American chestnut sprouts were inventoried in Mammoth Cave National Park from
2003 to 2006 over diverse landscapes during the summer when chestnut sprouts
were more easily identifiable. The “Big Woods,” a chestnut-rich old growth for-
est (120 ha) in the northeastern section of the park, was thoroughly sampled.
Elsewhere, we searched for chestnut specimens in most sections of the park that
were reasonably accessible (usually within a hiking distance of 2 km from a road).
For each specimen, geographic coordinates were recorded with a GPS unit.
