Knob has multiple uses

Trees are dying in a stand of aspen near High Knob in southwestern Virginia. Because aspen is rare in the eastern United States, the Forest Service is developing a plan to sustain and regenerate the grove. A citizen group called the Clinch Coalition is working to protect headwater forests of the Clinch River, winning withdrawal of a timber sale this summer after warning federal officials of flood risks downstream. In addition to the two acres of aspen, other rare plants live in the forest and rare mussels in the upper Clinch, so the coalition has pressed lawmakers to designate a national recreation area around High Knob. Much of the forest there is actively managed for timber production, with burns, thinning and plantings used to boost yield, but the new designation would bring restraints on logging activity. Meanwhile, federal officials plan to build three new parking lots and three miles of new trails and improve five miles of trail near the campground and lake on High Knob. Nearby in the North Fork of Pound Roadless Area, federal officials proposed development of 21 new gas wells because the lease predates the 1997 roadless designation. Eleven miles of road and 12 miles of pipeline would be built to service the wells, and the draft environmental impact statement will be published in December and open for public comment.

Waiting for this moment to arise

By Rikki Hall

Biologists gathered at the U.S. Forest Service’s Center for Bottomland Hardwoods in Stoneville, Miss. to discuss the decline of the rusty blackbird, which breeds in northern boreal forests and winters in Southeastern bottomlands. Rusty blackbird populations are estimated to have dropped more than 90 percent since the 1960s, yet most heritage lists categorize it as “demonstrably secure,” the polar opposite of “endangered.” Only in recent years have biologists taken note of its decline and begun to develop conservation plans. Its drab appearance and preference for inaccessible forested wetlands make the rusty blackbird one of the least studied North American birds, and the primary goal of the April meeting was setting research priorities for understanding the bird and why it is in decline.

Another forest invader

By Rikki Hall

An Asian grass that first gained purchase in North America near Knoxville in 1919 may inhibit forest regeneration, according to a preliminary study by Christopher Oswalt, a University of Tennessee graduate student. Microstegium vimineum, commonly known as Japangrass or Nepalese browntop, may impede woody plants from germinating by blocking sunlight or preventing seeds from reaching the soil. The grass forms dense mats on the forest floor and can become especially thick when a disturbance such as logging or blow downs provides direct sunlight. Accidentally introduced as a packing material for porcelain, the grass has spread into 14 Southern states, preferring floodplains and streambanks.