Spin Off - Leave No Trace too far?

[jaybird]

To bring that back to the original discussion... The Alabama population of Hemlocks is, to my knowledge, totally unaffected by the wooly adelgid crisis spreading so rapidly in other populations. This is due to the geopgraphic isolation of the population, which either never in recent history, or no longer, connects to the population in eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and northern Georgia. All it would take would be ONE sapling, seed, or probably even a BACKPACK, to carry the adelgids to Alabama.

Bingo.

And, the hemlocks in NC/TN were stressed already due to the increased acidity of the rainfall there.  It was a perfect setup.  Adelgids and most other insects (including pine beetles) won't usually attack healthy trees -- they go for the ones that are already in a weakened state (drought, acid rain, competition, etc).  Here's hoping Sipsey stays isolated.

On another note, get ready for the flowering dogwoods to go away.  A fungus called the dogwood anthracnose has already wiped out 100% of test plots in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and has entered the counties of Northeastern Alabama.  http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/...mp;document_version=45904

[SmokeDiver]

Ugh. My first memories of Mt. Mitchell are of the deathly looking ghost forest that consumed it. It blew my mind that a beetle could cause so much destruction.

[Joshua Szulecki]

Bingo.

And, the hemlocks in NC/TN were stressed already due to the increased acidity of the rainfall there.  It was a perfect setup.  Adelgids and most other insects (including pine beetles) won't usually attack healthy trees -- they go for the ones that are already in a weakened state (drought, acid rain, competition, etc).  Here's hoping Sipsey stays isolated.

On another note, get ready for the flowering dogwoods to go away.  A fungus called the dogwood anthracnose has already wiped out 100% of test plots in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and has entered the counties of Northeastern Alabama.  http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/...mp;document_version=45904

Terrific. I knew about the sugar maples getting hit in New England, but I was not aware dogwoods had a threat. We are running out of tree species that can take over...

The slightly good news is that, besides the geographical isolation Sipsey has due to a number of geographical and agricultural barriers, there is no industrial area directly upwind of Sipsey. Both the Smokies and the Adirondacks get nailed by being the first tall stuff between major industrial areas and the coast.

[weathermansam]

Jay, you mentioned Monsanto....reme mber this?  http://www.mindfully.org/...onsanto-PCBs-Anniston.htm

Growing up in Gadsden [and going to college at JSU from 1998-2004] this was in a lot of chatter.  And what was the creek with the mercury levels so high it was a dead creek?  Snow Creek, maybe?   I know the creek just south of Woodland Park [and hopefully future extension of the Chief Ladiga Trail] was undrinkable too at one time.  


Maybe a little off topic, but what ever came of the situation where they were tearing down an indian mound to build a Sam's Club near there?  I'd heard they'd stopped demolition, but I haven't seen any news on it in a while.