Holocene Vegetation and Fire History from the Sediments of Three Wetlands in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, U.S.A.

Author

Anna G. LaFolletteFollow

Date of Award

12-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Geography

Major Professor

Sally P. Horn

Committee Members

Dimitris Herrera, Yingkui Li

Abstract

Plant communities in the southern Appalachians were shaped and maintained by frequent, low-intensity fires throughout the Holocene. Resource managers in Great Smoky Mountains National Park are interested in studies of past fire regimes to provide baselines for restoring and managing vegetation at sites throughout the park, but few records of fire or vegetation history are available. This research developed pollen and microscopic charcoal records from three small wetlands in the southwestern portion of Cades Cove to help to fill this gap. These wetlands preserve evidence of changes in plant communities, fire occurrence, and human activity around the sites during the late Holocene, beginning ca. 1600 cal yr BP at Pumphouse Marsh 2, 1000 cal yr BP at Additional Wetland 1, and 1400 cal yr BP at Additional Wetland 2. The Pumphouse Marsh 2 record documents Indigenous forest clearance and agricultural disturbance in Cades Cove. All sites record increases in sediment accumulation during the period of Euro-American settlement, and Pumphouse Marsh 2 and Additional Wetland 1 show increases in fire and pines during the Historic period.

Recommended Citation

LaFollette, Anna G., "Holocene Vegetation and Fire History from the Sediments of Three Wetlands in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, U.S.A.. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2024.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/12855