Abstract
The effects of human trampling and firewood gathering on eight backcountry campsites in the Great Smoky Mountains were surveyed. Sample plots were classified as sitecenter, transition, firewood-gathering area, and control. The canopy in the center of the sites tended to be more open than that of control plots, with the greatest openings occurring at shelter sites in spruce-fir forest. Intensive human trampling in the center of the sites inhibited reproduction of tree species, whereas firewood gathering alone did not. In some cases where canopy opening had occurred, there was an increase in shrub and tree reproduction around the edge of the site. Reduction in the basal area of standing deadwood varied with the type of site; older growth stands were less depleted. Injuries to trees increased tenfold from control areas to the center of the campsites. Smaller fuels were more strongly impacted by trampling and little impacted by firewood gathering. Woody fuels in the 2.5- to 7.6-cm size class were preferred for firewood. A previously constructed carbon cycling model was modified to incorporate removal of firewood and litter on campsites. The model suggested that after extended removal of leaf litter, soil carbon takes 12 to 50 years to recover, but this hypothesis remains to be tested in the field.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literature cited
Barr, A. J., and J. H. Goodnight. 1976. Statistical Analysis System (Computer Programs), North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.
Bratton, S. P. 1978. Vegetation survey for Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Uplands Field Research Laboratory, Great Smoky Mountains National Park internal rep. 66 pp. (mimeo).
Bratton, S. P., M. G. Hickler, and J. H. Graves. 1978. Visitor impact on backcountry campsites in the Great Smoky Mountains.Environ. Manage. 2:431–441.
Bratton, S. P., M. G. Hickler, and J. H. Graves. 1979. Trail erosion patterns in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.Environ. Manage. 3:431–445.
Brown, S. H., Jr., S. P. Kalisz, and W. R. Wright. 1977. Effects of recreational use on forested sites.Environ. Manage. 1:425–431.
Budelsky, G. A., and P. P. Foss. 1980. A case study of the effects of camping on the soil, litter, and vegetation of a Crab Orchard Lake campground. Pages 156–164in Campgrounds and Camping. 1980. Proc. of a conf. at Land Between the Lakes, Brandon Spring, Tennessee, Nov. 5–8, 1978. Dept. of Forestry, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, IL. 164 pp.
Edwards, N. T., and W. F. Harris. 1977. Carbon cycling in a mixed deciduous forest floor.Ecology 58:431–437.
Frissell, S. S. 1978. Judging recreation impacts on wilderness campsites.J. Forestry 76:481–483.
Frissell, S. S., and D. P. Duncan. 1965. Campsite preference and deterioration in the Quetico-Superior canoe country.J. Forestry 63:256–260.
Harmon, M. E. 1980. The distribution and dynamics of forest fuels in the low elevation forests of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service, Southeast Region. Res./Resour. Manage. Rep. No. 32. 86 pp.
Harmon, M. E., T. Hennessy, and D. G. Silsbee. 1980. Woody fuel dimensions within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service, Southeast Region. Res./Resour. Manage. Rep. No. 31. 26 pp.
Harris, F. W., P. Sollins, N. T. Edwards, B. E. Dinger, and H. H. Shugert. 1975. Analysis of carbon flow and productivity in a temperate deciduous forest ecosystem. Pages 116–122in D. E. Reichle and J. F. Franklin, eds. Productivity of world eco-systems. Nat. Acad. Sci., Washington, DC. 166 pp.
Legg, M. H., and G. Schneider. 1977. Soil deterioration on campsites: northern forest types.Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 41:437–441.
Liddle, M. M. 1975. Aselective review of the ecological effects of trampling on natural ecosystems.Biol. Conserv. 7:17–36.
Merriam, L. C., and C. K. Smith. 1974. Visitor impact on newly developed campsites in the Boundary Waters canoe area.J. Forestry 72:627–630.
Parsons, D. J., and S. H. deBenedetti. 1977. Wilderness protection in the High Sierra: effects of a 15-year closure.In Proc. of the 1st conf. on Scientific Research in the National Parks. R. Linn, ed. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service. Trans. and Proc. Series No. 5. Vol. II:1313–1317.
Parsons, D. J., and S. A. MacLeod. Measuring impacts of wilderness use.Parks. In press.
Radford, A. E., H. E. Abies, and C. R. Bell. 1978. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas. The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC. 1183 pp.
Saunders, P. R. 1979. The vegetational impact of human disturbance on the spruce-fir forests of the Southern Appalachians. Ph.D. Dissertation, Duke University, Durham, NC. 177 pp.
Whittaker, R. H. 1956. Vegetation of the Great Smoky Mountains.Ecol. Monogr. 26:1–80.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bratton, S.P., Stromberg, L.L. & Harmon, M.E. Firewood-gathering impacts in backcountry campsites in Great Smoky Mountains national park. Environmental Management 6, 63–71 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01866808
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01866808