Great Smoky Mountains

National Park

By: Sandy Braswell & Jon Dyer

 

  

   

                                                                                                                                        

 

                                                                        

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is located on the North Carolina/ Tennessee border.  This unique park known for its scenic views, diverse wildlife and rare wildflowers covers 800 square miles in the southern Appalachian mountain chain.  The Great Smokies are known for their biological diversity with over 10,000 species identified in the park and an estimated 90,000 species left to discover.   1,400 flowering plant species are contained in the park.  The most recent ice age did not affect the park, therefore, the plant species were allowed to evolve uninterrupted for many years.

The park is now endangered by smog and pollution.  Now diminished views, damaged plants, degraded soils and streams, and introduced species plague the park.  Wind currents  from much of the southeastern United States carry this pollution directly to the mountains. 

For more information visit:

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Service

 

   

 

                                                                                                                 

    Targeting ecosystems for conservation allows focus to be placed on all endangered species, plant or animal, in one confined area.  All factors of the ecosystem are taken into consideration at one time, rather than focusing on one individual species at a time.  However, by focusing on the on one species or factor in a specific ecosystem there is a risk causing a cascade effect that would adversely effect the entire system. 

    Ecosystem and species diversity are hard to separate because each ecosystem has a different species diversity, depending on environmental factors.  Species diversity is also an indicator of the overall ecosystem health and structure. 

This diagram from the National Park Service shows the directions that pollution in the park comes from.

                                                                                                                                     

This map illustrates the large size and specific location of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

                           

For information about pollution and the political actions taken in the park go to:

Pollution Info.

Introduced species in the park have caused several problems, for more information see:

Non-native spp.

For classification of fish species in the park go to:

Fish