1995-08-15: The Land Downunder: The Life of Virginia's Caves (part 2)

Transcription:

Music "On the Trail of the Lonesome Pine" by Russ Morgan
BACKGROUND
We go now to the high mountains of Virginia in the Blue Ridge.
My guest is Phillip Shelton, a biologist from Clinch Valley
College. He studies the ecology of the forests in the Lewis Fork
Wilderness near Abingdon, Virginia.
Elliott
Professor Shelton, you study the forests around Mount
Rogers. What makes this area unique?
Shelton
The uniqueness of it is the kind of habitat that it is. A
spruce-fir forest, a very well developed spruce-fir forest on
Mount Rogers itself and spruce on Whitetop nearby. And these are
remnants of forests that was much more widespread 12 to 20
thousand years ago when there was glacial ice as close to us as,
near Cincinnati.
Elliott
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For hikers that are heading out there this summer, when they
get to the peak of Mount Rogers which is the highest mountain or
the highest point in Virginia, what can you tell them to look for
as far as the interesting vegetation that's up there?
Shelton
Fortunately now the Appalachian Trail is not routed over the
summit of Mount Rogers. There's a spur trail a half-mile long
that goes and dead-ends at the summit. You'll see about 50
yards. It's thick, and it's the only high point in a Southern
state, that is the highest point in a state, that doesn't have
something constructed on it.
What they'll see right on the summit is the spruce trees and
the Frasier fir trees, and they will be in a very cool, moist
situation. Be prepared for bad weather as it can turn cold, it
can sleet most any time and most people aren't prepared for that.
Elliott
In the middle of the summer?
Shelton
In the middle of the summer. But that's why that kind of
habitat is there because it is much cooler and moister than any
other part of the state.
Elliott
These firs are also what give off the blue gasses which give
the Blue Ridge the name Blue Ridge.
Shelton
They are one of the trees that give off the volatile
compounds, terpines and so forth, that give a blue haze to the
Blue Ridge. But a lot of trees do and water vapor does it and,
you know, contributes to it. And of course nowadays lots of
other things contribute, that come out of smokestacks and
tailpipes. But originally they would have been blue from the
trees.
Elliott
Now are the fir trees one of the few types that can actually
grow in that kind of soil?
Shelton
Yes. But this tree is an endangered tree -- or it's of
special concern, I don't think it's actually listed as endangered
in any of the states yet, but it is certainly of concern to the
forest service and to anybody interested in forest ecology in the
Southern Appalachians because the fir particularly only occurs on
the very highest peaks. It's not as wide-spread as the spruce.
And it's quite sensitive. It's a short-lived tree.
Elliott
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We were talking before the interview about the unusual lifecycle
of the fir trees. They live for about 80 to 100 years and
then they blow down.
Shelton
They blow down, and this is well documented in the Northern
states, Maine and up there. And the same kind of thing happens
here except it, with the stands on high peaks it's a little
harder to see the pattern but it's very definitely going on on
Mount Rogers and I can show you blow-downs that I know the age of
when they blew down.
And what happens in the young trees, the little seedlings
that are around under the shade of the adult trees, the large
trees, then they spring forth and begin to grow very, very
rapidly and for a few years make a really thick stand.
Elliott
What are some of the birds that are attracted to the spruce
fir forest?
Shelton
Golden crown kinglets that are fairly common. Red-breasted
nuthatches. There are a couple of fly-catchers that are of some
interest there, there's a population of Alder fly catchers on the
slopes of Mount Rogers down a way from the summit. The most
common bird at a high altitude in Virginia is a little junko, a
little dark-eyed junko that ...
Elliott
Gray and white, is that right?
Shelton
Gray and white with the gray on the top and a clean, white
belly with a clean, white line between the gray and the white on
the breast.
Elliott
What other birds are up there that are unusual for that
area?
Shelton
Well the most unusual birds that can be found with some
regularity are hermit thrushes and much more rare are Swainson's
thrushes that have been there in very small numbers, less than 10
singing males each summer. And only on Mount Rogers.
Another problem with these small populations of birds, a lot
of birders in their enthusiasm to hear and see these birds use
tape-recorded songs or learn to imitate the songs, which I'm not
very good at that. But there's a good possibility, particularly
with very small populations, that this can be quite disruptive to
the birds because what you're doing is introducing a song of a
strange bird of the same species and the response of the home
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bird is to investigate.
In the normal situation they will know every other bird that
sings in the territories around them and you introduce another
one, it's going to be some disruption.
Elliott
There's been a lot of controversy over the years on how to
protect and keep the environment of the high mountains of
Virginia pristine. And one of the controversies is whether to go
through regular burns and cuttings up there or whether to leave
the area alone. What are some of the pros and cons of those
arguments?
Shelton
Yes, what's happened in the areas that are burned and grazed
is that there's been very rapid erosion and unless it is burned
and grazed so that grass grows thickly on them, and of course
burning and grazing stimulate grass, that's the whole idea of it.
But without that you could get very rapid erosion and where there
is erosion there are places up there that have been stripped bare
and it's difficult getting anything to grow back on them. The
forest service is doing a lot of patchwork with straw and seeding
and so forth, but it's difficult to dQ and it just takes a few
steps to wipe out delicate vegetation and it's difficult to get
it rehabilitated.
Elliott
One thing I think is outstanding to anybody who's spent any
time in the mountains or along the Appalachian trail in Virginia
is the sheer number of cattle that are up on those mountaintops.
How does that affect the environment, does it harm anything? It
keeps it open I would assume, the fields open.
Shelton
Well, it does keep it open to some extent although cattle
are not as good at that as would be bison, which are the original
.grazers at high altitudes in the Appalachians.
Elliott
Is that right? There were buffalo out here?
Shelton
Oh yes, yes, there were buffalo in Virginia until the late
1700's. And they probably, along with the elk, played a role in
keeping open some of the balds that occurred in historic times
and still do. There is ...
Elliott
The bald mountain tops.
Shelton
Yes, the bald mountain tops. The biggest one is down in
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Tennessee along the Tennessee, North Carolina line on Roan
Mountain and the ridges that fan out from roan. Some of the
research people, though, in the Smokies in studying the balds
down there have put sheep up to see what effect it had on the
vegetation and they certainly are effective in helping keep the
balds open.
Elliott
Now does that effect, does that have an ecological effect to
create a bald mountain? Is it limiting the spruce-fir forests
that you've been talking about earlier?
Shelton
Well yes, we focus on those areas that have been cleared by
humans and that are being grazed and burned now. There are some
extensive areas, especially on the slopes of Mount Rogers and
adjacent ridges that could support spruce and fir that are not
being allowed to go back to that. And it is a controversial
thing because a lot of the people that go there go on horseback
or hike and it's nice to see a big vista and they can pretend
they're in Montana and see all around. But that isn't the
natural habitat that was there. And when we've got species such
as the thrushes and the fly catchers that depend on this very
small amount of spruce fir forest that is there, there could be
larger populations of them potentially if we had more of the
habitat. .
Elliott
The high mountain habitats, Virginia is fortunate to have a
few, and my understanding is that they're very delicate
ecosystems. The soil is very thin, the nutrients are very thin,
and for those people who are planning on going out and enjoying
it this summer, looking for the birds that you've been talking
about, there are also some precautions.
Shelton
The biggest problem is simply trampling. There are ferns
that grow up about knee-high all under the spruce and fir and I
like to go barefoot and that means that ...
Elliott
During those sleet storms?
Shelton
Not so much during the sleet storms but most of the time in
the summer it doesn't sleet. But cleated hiking boots just rip
the vegetation to shreds and the trails just get a iittle deeper
every year and some of them now are ankle deep.
Elliott
What is the best time of day to enjoy the life on top of
Mount Rogers?
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Shelton
Daybreak.
Elliott
Daybreak? In the summer?
Shelton
Or sunset. Uh-hum.
Elliott
In the summer?
Shelton
Yes.
Elliott
Phil Shelton, thank you so much for joining me on With Good
Reason.
Shelton
Thank you.
OUTRO
My guest has been Philip Shelton, a biologist from Clinch Valley
College.
Tune in With Good Reason, next week, when we commemorate the 75th
anniversary of a woman's right to vote with guests Arnold Kahn
and pioneer feminist Betty Friedan.
This is With Good Reason.
The project coordinator is Michael McDowell. Carolyn Elliott is
the producer. John Wilkinson is the assistant producer. We had
production assistance from Andy Washburg and Kevin Piccini wrote
the theme music.
"The Trail of the Lonesome Pine," performed by Russ Morgan and
his orchestra is available on, "The Best of Russ Morgan" from MCA
Records.
Thanks to Luray Caverns for music from the Great Stalagpipe
Organ.
This program was produced with the help of WCVB, Richmond. Thanks
also to WVRU at Radford University.
Announcer
With Good Reason is produced for the Virginia Higher Education
Broadcasting Consortium by the State Council of Higher Education
and public radio stations serving Virginia.
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The views expressed are not necessarily those of the consortium
or this station.
To comment on today's program or to receive tapes or transcripts,
call toll-free. 1-800-245-2434.
Music
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