Hemlock die-off having major ecological impact in Smokies
TOWNSEND, Tenn. (AP) – Forests throughout the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are undergoing a major ecological shift due to the widespread deaths of hemlock trees caused by an unwelcome insect.
Forestry experts tell the Knoxville News Sentinel that hemlocks that for years were in a state of decline are now dead and toppling to the ground, creating a void that could affect everything from stream temperatures to forest composition.
The die-off has been linked to the hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive species that was discovered in the park in 2002.
Park forester Jesse Webster says the forest floor is receiving much more sunlight than it has in centuries without the hemlocks standing tall.
Webster says the sunlight could promote the spread of invasive plant species such as princess trees and oriental bittersweet.
