AP News, May 22nd, 2007
Privet, multiflora rose bushes and Japanese honeysuckle all have their place in the suburban landscape, but not in the wetlands of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The country's most-visited national park received special funding this year to remove nonnative plants from 11 wetlands. The largest is Soak Ash Creek wetland at the base of Greenbrier Pinnacle, just off U.S. Highway 321 on the Tennessee side of the Smokies.
"The Southern Appalachians don't have many wetlands, but where you do find them, they tend to have rare plants and animals," said Keith Langdon, chief biologist for the Smokies.
Left unchecked, invasive plants _ some planted by former residents near old home sites _ can out-compete native species and destroy the wetland's ecological balance.
Since last winter the park's plant control crews have made considerable headway removing the plants that don't belong at Soak Ash, but it's labor-intensive work.
Virginia Bateman, a recent college graduate from Mississippi, knows first-hand. After battling thorny plants in the park for three weeks, her forearms are covered in scratches and her gloves are starting to shred.
"It hurts," she said.
Scattered throughout the Smokies are a handful of wetlands that contain plants and animals found nowhere else in the park. At 14 acres, Soak Ash is one of the largest.
Located at about 1,800 feet in elevation, Soak Ash is fed by half a dozen streams, springs and seeps. The ground is flat and spongy underfoot. There are a smattering of trees. Dragonflies, cattails, rushes and cinnamon fern are common. And even in the middle of a bright, sunny day, frogs can be heard.
Kristine Johnson, supervisory forester for the Smokies, said in addition to their rich biodiversity, wetlands like Soak Ash act as natural filters by trapping sediment that washes down the mountains.
"We're making space for native plants, and improving water quality, too," Johnson said.
While eliminating the exotics, park officials also plan to collect seeds from native wetland plants and propagate them in a greenhouse.
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Information from: The Knoxville News Sentinel, http://www.knoxnews.com
