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Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Stretching over more than 200,000 ha, this exceptionally beautiful park is home to more than 3,500 plant species, including almost as many trees (130 natural species) as in all of Europe. Many endangered animal species are also found there, including what is probably the greatest variety of salamanders in the world. Since the park is relatively untouched, it gives an idea of temperate flora before the influence of humankind.

Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

Parc national des Great Smoky Mountains

S'étendant sur plus de 200 000 ha, ce parc d'une beauté exceptionnelle abrite plus de 3 500 espèces végétales, dont presque autant d'arbres (130 essences naturelles) que l'Europe tout entière. On y trouve aussi de nombreuses espèces animales menacées avec, probablement, la plus grande variété de salamandres au monde. Resté relativement à l'écart, il donne une idée de la flore tempérée avant l'influence de l'homme.

Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

المنتزه الوطني لجبال غرايت سموكي العظيمة

يمتد هذا المنتزه على مساحة أكثر من مئتي ألف هكتار وهو يكتنف في حنايا جماله الاستثنائي فصائل نباتيّة وأشجار (130 عطراً طبيعيّاً) بنسبة أكثر من 3500 فصيلة مما تضمّ أوروبا مجموعةً. وفيه أيضاً العديد من الفصائل الحيوانيّة المهددة مثل السمندل. وحيث لم تطله اليد البشريّة نسبيّاً فهو يعكس الحياة الطبيعيّة المعتدلة قبل أن يؤثّر فيها الإنسان.

source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

大烟雾山国家公园

大烟雾山国家公园占地20万公顷,园内生长有超过3500种植物,其中树木约130种,这个数目与整个欧洲的树木种类基本持平。在大烟雾山国家公园中还有许多种濒危动物,其中蝾螈的种类可能是世界上最多的。由于大烟雾山国家公园基本未受到人类破坏,所以在这里我们可以看到未受人类影响的温带植物生长情况。

source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

Национальный парк Грейт-Смоки-Маунтинс

В этом исключительно живописном парке, покрывающем площадь свыше 200 тыс. га, зафиксировано более 3,5 тыс. видов растений, включая 130 видов деревьев (примерно столько же отмечено во всей Европе). Здесь обитает и множество редких и исчезающих видов зверей, а разнообразие местных саламандр можно признать наибольшим в мире. Эта хорошо сохранившаяся местность позволяет представить состояние растительности умеренного пояса до времени её освоения человеком.

source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

Parque Nacional de Great Smoky Mountains

Este parque de excepcional belleza abarca más de 200.000 hectáreas y alberga más de 3.500 especies de plantas vasculares. Posee tantas variedades de árboles (130 especies naturales) como toda Europa en su conjunto. También alberga numerosas especies animales en peligro de extinción y la mayor variedad de salamandras del mundo, probablemente. Al estar relativamente intacto, este parque permite hacerse una idea de cómo era la flora de la zona templada antes de que el hombre empezase a dejar su huella en la naturaleza.

source: UNESCO/CPE
Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

グレート・スモーキー山脈国立公園

source: NFUAJ

Nationaal park Great Smoky Mountains

Dit uitzonderlijk mooie park – dat zich uitstrekt over meer dan 200.000 hectare – is de thuisbasis van meer dan 3.500 plantensoorten. Verder zijn er bijna net zoveel bomen als in heel Europa (130 natuurlijke soorten). Het is de habitat van veel bedreigde diersoorten en de Great Smoky Mountains kent zelfs de grootste verscheidenheid aan salamanders ter wereld. De hevige neerslag en tal van beken maken het gebied ideaal voor een breed scala aan amfibiesoorten. Omdat het park relatief onaangetast is, geeft het een goede indruk van de flora zoals die was voor de invloed van de mensheid.

Source: unesco.nl

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief Synthesis

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a major North American refuge of temperate zone flora and fauna that survived the Pleistocene glaciations. The park includes the largest remnant of the diverse Arcto-Tertiary geoflora era left in the world, and provides an indication of the appearance of late Pleistocene flora.  It is large enough to allow the continuing biological evolution of this natural system, and its biological diversity exceeds that of other temperate-zone protected areas of comparable size. The park is of exceptional natural beauty with undisturbed, virgin forest including the largest block of virgin red spruce remaining on earth.

Criterion (vii): The site is of exceptional natural beauty with scenic vistas of characteristic mist-shrouded (“smoky”) mountains, vast stretches of virgin timber, and clear running streams.

Criterion (viii): Great Smoky Mountains National Park is of world importance as the outstanding example of the diverse Arcto-Tertiary geoflora era, providing an indication of what the late Pleistocene flora looked like before recent human impacts.

Criterion (ix): The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the largest remaining remnants of the diverse Arcto-Tertiary geoflora era in the world. It is large enough to be a significant example of continuing biological evolution of this natural system.

Criterion (x): The Great Smoky Mountains is one of the most ecologically rich and diverse temperate zone protected areas in the world. There are over 1300 native vascular plant species, including 105 native tree species, plus nearly 500 species of non-vascular plants - a level of floristic diversity that rivals or exceeds other temperate zone protected areas of similar size. The park is also home to the world’s greatest diversity of salamander species (31) - an important indicator of overall ecosystem health - and is the center of diversity for lungless salamanders, with 24 species. 

Integrity

At over 209,000 hectares, the property is one of the largest intact forest ecosystems in the southern Appalachian mountains, and contains one of the largest blocks of deciduous, temperate, old growth forests remaining in North America. Over 90% of the property is managed for wilderness values. The park adjoins several national forests on parts of its boundary, providing some additional protection and connectivity to the larger landscape.

In spite of the park’s size, it does face important challenges. Air pollution from outside park boundaries diminishes park views, damages plant life and degrades high elevation streams and soils. Non-native insects and invasive plant species threaten forest health, with potentially serious impacts on several tree species including hemlock, fir and ash. Non-native wild hogs can also have locally significant impacts on the park and park staff are also taking measures against several species of non-native trout.

One potential threat was resolved with a recent agreement not to build the long-proposed North Shore Road, thereby assuring protection to a significant portion of the property. 

Of note is the All-Taxa Biological Inventory, a concentrated effort to identify and record every single species within the park. This will greatly assist park management in understanding and protecting the park’s resources.

Protection and management requirements

Designated by the U.S. Congress in 1934 as a national park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is managed under the authority of the Organic Act of August 25, 1916 which established the United States National Park Service. In addition, the park has specific enabling legislation which provides broad congressional direction regarding the primary purposes of the park. Numerous other federal laws bring additional layers of protection to the park and its resources, including the Clean Air Act. Day to day management is directed by the Park Superintendent. 

Management goals and objectives for the property have been developed through a General Management Plan, which has been supplemented in recent years with more site-specific planning exercises as well as numerous plans for specific issues and resources. In addition, the National Park Service has established Management Policies which provide broader direction for all National Park Service units, including Great Smoky Mountains.

Park management plans for the property have identified a number of resource protection measures, such as environmental assessment processes, zoning, ecological integrity and visitor monitoring, and education programs to address pressures arising from issues both inside and outside the property, including air pollution and non-native invasive species. The park has a robust research program with over 140 research permits issued in a given year. Air quality and water quality are closely monitored in the park along with several other vital signs indicating the health of the ecosystem. These other vital signs include brook trout distribution, aquatic macro-invertebrates, vegetation, soil chemistry and climate change. Extensive pest management efforts are in place to reduce the impact of forests pests and exotic, invasive plants on the integrity of the ecosystem.
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