The Search for Linnaea borealis The Story of Expedition 1 : The Search for Linnaea borealis The Story of Expedition 1 May 27-28, 2006
The background… : The background… The story of Linnaea in Tennessee
Looking for Linnaea One of Tennessee’s N species : Looking for Linnaea One of Tennessee’s N species Linnaea borealis
Slide4 : Linnaea in Tennessee First & last observation Sevier County “in Mountain woods” Albert Ruth August 11, 1892
A circumpolar plant Linnaeus knew in Sweden : A circumpolar plant Linnaeus knew in Sweden The green dot shows the range extension that the Ruth specimen represents
A beautiful but delicate native wildflower is the icon of Linnaeus himself : A beautiful but delicate native wildflower is the icon of Linnaeus himself
Slide8 : Carolus Linnaeus
1707-1778
Father of taxonomy & the binomial
Systema naturae (1735)
Species plantarum (1753)
Genera plantarum (1754)
Slide10 : 1844-1932 Collected by Albert Ruth then living in Knoxville
Note he wrote the label after his move to Texas
Slide11 : Bought after Ruth’s death from his daughter in Texas because the UTK Herbarium burned to the ground in 1934
Slide12 : 1904-1997 Identity and significance recognized by renowned UT Botanist Jack Sharp
Slide13 : Location is equal to 25,000 acres!
Need GPS!
Slide14 : Ruth never brought the specimen to anyone’s attention because he mis-id’ed it after moving to Texas! We need DNA Barcodes!
Slide15 : DNA Barcodes of life
1707-1778
Father of taxonomy & the binomial
Systema naturae (1735)
Species plantarum (1753)
DNA Barcodes: DNA segments that map well on taxonomy DNA Barcodes will challenge the nature of Linnaean taxonomy
Linnaea borealis, Pictures found by Julie : Linnaea borealis, Pictures found by Julie
The preparation… : The preparation… Old maps: Where was Ruth in 1892? Where did roads penetrate the high elevations in Sevier County, Tennessee?
Answer: 2 places, (1) vicinity of Newfound Gap Road but crossing mts at Indian Gap AND (2) road along Porters Creek from the thriving Greenbrier Community…the road becoming a trail up and over Dry Sluice Gap
Slide18 : We target Porters Creek because it is so remote and because it harbors the Northern Tree, Heart-leaved Paper Birch (the only TN locale, not discovered until 1970s), which occurs with Linnaea in the North
There are steep N-facing rocky places above 4000 ft that would seem ideal for the hunt
Also Greenbrier was a thriving community in Ruth’s day
We found 2 old maps : We found 2 old maps 1893 USGS Quad for Mt Guyot
This map has some inaccuracies as you will see
1934 East Half of Great Smoky Mts National Park
Slide20 : 1893 USGS Mt Guyot Quad
Slide21 : 1893 USGS Mt Guyot Quad
Closer-up
Note LeConte is NOT on the stateline!
Slide22 : 1893 USGS Mt Guyot Quad
Closer-up again
Note Road follows creek to 3300 ft and becomes path
Slide23 : 1934 Park Map, E Half
Path follows Porters Creek to Dry Sluice Gap
Slide24 : 1934 Park Map, E Half
Closer up
The Start: 8:30 am, May 27th Jess, Mark, Julie, Gillian, Keith Lily, Rose, Carol Ann : The Start: 8:30 am, May 27th Jess, Mark, Julie, Gillian, Keith Lily, Rose, Carol Ann
The picture Julie held up in the previous slide : The picture Julie held up in the previous slide
Oxalis montana : Oxalis montana
Stream crossing 1 Later we didn’t bother taking off our shoes Rose, Julie, Carol Ann, Keith (actually Keith didn’t bother even here) : Stream crossing 1 Later we didn’t bother taking off our shoes Rose, Julie, Carol Ann, Keith (actually Keith didn’t bother even here)
Rose and Keith get interested in a snail at Campsite 31 If we had a video, we could show its spinning behavior! : Rose and Keith get interested in a snail at Campsite 31 If we had a video, we could show its spinning behavior!
Debris avalanche at 4360 ft Young pin cherry : Debris avalanche at 4360 ft Young pin cherry
Julie in debris scar It was Big Dave Scanlon says that this scar happened in 1984 because he hiked the area before it occurred that year and the Smoky Mt Hiking Club came to the fresh scar just hrs or days after it happened later that same year : Julie in debris scar It was Big Dave Scanlon says that this scar happened in 1984 because he hiked the area before it occurred that year and the Smoky Mt Hiking Club came to the fresh scar just hrs or days after it happened later that same year
Clintonia borealis : Clintonia borealis
On the Way Down: Porters Creek Trail Tree in picture on Right is World Champion Carya cordiformis tho listed as Carya ovalis by AFA (says Jess) : On the Way Down: Porters Creek Trail Tree in picture on Right is World Champion Carya cordiformis tho listed as Carya ovalis by AFA (says Jess)
Key elevations on the following maps : Key elevations on the following maps Lester Prong jct with Porters Creek is at 3960 ft
Branch to E to Porters Gap is at 3950 ft; 1934 map says BM 3967 ft
Heart-lvd paper birch photographed by Peter ca. 1980 is at 4310-4350 ft as recorded by altimeter back then
This tree died (according to Janet Rock) and the area may have been affected by a larger debris avalanche
Heart-lvd paper birch population mapped by Janet Rock in the 1990s is located W of the location of that tree at 4400 ft and just below
Dry Sluice Gap is at 5375 ft
Purple dots are Peter’s GPS pts on Porters Creek Manway Hatched area is location of Heart-lvd Paper Birch population (only one in TN) Brown outline is debris avalanche from Vegetation Map Red dot is Miller Plot (No. Hardwoods) : Purple dots are Peter’s GPS pts on Porters Creek Manway Hatched area is location of Heart-lvd Paper Birch population (only one in TN) Brown outline is debris avalanche from Vegetation Map Red dot is Miller Plot (No. Hardwoods) Map by Julie
Peter, Julie, Jess got to 5000 ft Jess ran out to AT Peter and Keith GPS’ed base of large debris avalanche : Peter, Julie, Jess got to 5000 ft Jess ran out to AT Peter and Keith GPS’ed base of large debris avalanche Map by Julie
Slide37 : Vegetation Map for Expedition area extracted by UGA project map Map by Julie
Slide38 : Heart-lvd Paper Birch -- Betula cordifolia
Photograph by Peter ca. 1980
Celebrator is Mary English
Janet Rock says that this tried has died
End of Day 1 : End of Day 1 Gillian has to turn around (after 3.7 miles) at Campsite 31 to get to the Atlanta Airport
Mark, Carol Ann, Rose, Lily do an amazing number of stream crossing and unmaintained trails (including climbing over large trees and through Rhododdendron) and get back to cars at 5:30 (see next slide)
Keith gets back to the car at 7:30 after 11 hrs of hiking (see next slide)
Peter, Julie, Jess get back to the car, apparently just after Keith, missing him, but also about 7:30
Notes found by Peter, Julie, Jess on the way down Note important clue in signatures of note on Right : Notes found by Peter, Julie, Jess on the way down Note important clue in signatures of note on Right
Plant list for Day 1 : Plant list for Day 1 Aruncus dioicus
Clintonia umbellula
Oxalis montana
Dentaria diphylla
Houstonia pubera
Tiarella sp. (in bloom at high elevations)
Claytonia carolinana (still in bloom at high elevations!)
Clintonia borealis
Streptopus roseus
Trillium simile
Vaccinium erythrocarpon (not in bloom)
Menziesia pilosa
Ribes
Diphylleia cymosa (tons in bloom on steep wet slopes)
Cardamone clematitis
Parnassia asarifolia (not in bloom)
Viola pallens (or V. McCroskeyi subsp. pallens)
Saxifragum michauxii (not in bloom)
Cardamine clematitis
The UT Field Station and the Chicken Coop Ghetto : The UT Field Station and the Chicken Coop Ghetto Well, for some reason, I neglected to take pictures of the chicken coop ghetto next to the UT field station that Peter, Julie, Carol Ann, Mark, Rose, and Lily stayed in near the Greenbrier entrance…Friday and Saturday nights
Or record the roosters at 4:30 am (Peter left the door open for fresh air and it would have been much quieter if he hadn’t)
The place must supply eggs to all restaurants in Gatlinburg and we looked suspiciously at our plates in the Black Bear Restaurant on Saturday morning before the hike
There were a lot of Chicken and feather jokes
May 28th: Peter, Julie scout AT from Newfound Gap to the Jumpoff View from the Jumpoff to the East : May 28th: Peter, Julie scout AT from Newfound Gap to the Jumpoff View from the Jumpoff to the East
Charlie’s Bunion from the Jumpoff : Charlie’s Bunion from the Jumpoff
Peter, Julie, Jess made it to here at 5000 ft and Jess ran out to AT at 5375 ft in “5 or 10 minutes” : Peter, Julie, Jess made it to here at 5000 ft and Jess ran out to AT at 5375 ft in “5 or 10 minutes” Actual spot they made it to is to Left of Charlies Bunion and hidden by ridge coming down from there White dots are hikers at Charlies Bunion
Closer view of Charlies Bunion Erosion here occurred in 1927 debris avalanches, conditioned by a logging fire from the NC side : Closer view of Charlies Bunion Erosion here occurred in 1927 debris avalanches, conditioned by a logging fire from the NC side
Rugelia nudicaulis along the AT : Rugelia nudicaulis along the AT
Plant list for Day 2 : Plant list for Day 2 Trillium simile
Trillium erectum
Rhododendron minus or caroliniana
Erythronium
Kalmia latifolia
Claytonia caroliniana
Houstonia
Rugellia nudicaulis
Solidago glomerata
Clintonia borealis
Streptopus roseus
Potentilla
Disporum maculosum
Smilacina racemosa
Denteria diphylla
Viola pallens or (V. McCroskeyi subsp. pallens)
Amelanchier laevis
Viburnum latanoides
The Tasty Food Peter was served after ordering Green Beans in Maggie Valley : The Tasty Food Peter was served after ordering Green Beans in Maggie Valley
Results : Results Well, no Linnaea (yet)
So it was a Spectacular Failure
Make that a Spectacular failure
And it lead to a new round of planning…
Expedition 2 Planning August after ATBI Board Meeting on August 19th : Expedition 2 Planning August after ATBI Board Meeting on August 19th Attempt to reserve spaces at Ice Water Springs Shelter along the AT because if offers access to several N-facing slopes at high elevation, including Dry Sluice Gap
Plan to drop down to Heart-leaved Paper Birch and several other places to about 4000 ft and then back up from the Boulevard Trail to Porters Gap