Maryville College students help restore chestnut trees near Smokies

Rebecca Wright | Knoxville

Maryville College students and faculty are helping restore American chestnut tree populations near Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Through a partnership with Mountain Homes in Walland, Tenn., and The American Chestnut Foundation, about 700 seeds were planted in April in an area that borders the national park.

Chestnut tree 'functionally extinct'

A lethal fungus infestation during the first half of the 1900s caused the decrease in chestnut tree populations. TACF estimates that more than 200 million acres of woodlands from Main to Florida contained American chestnut trees and that 4 billion trees grew within this range.

But the American chestnut tree is now “functionally extinct,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Still, Maryville College associate biology professor David Unger said that the tree's existence is necessary for other species to survive.

A keystone species

“The American chestnut was once THE dominant canopy tree in the Appalachian forests and has been suggested as perhaps even being regarded as a keystone species, or an organism that shapes the very environment in which it lives,” said Unger in a statement.

Unger and Drew Crain, a biology professor at Maryville College, are the co-principal investigators on the Walland project.

American chestnut trees differ from other trees, such as oak, based on when they bloom. Oak trees bloom in March; depending on the weather, late frosts in the Appalachian region can prevent nuts from forming. This provides less food for the other animals in the environment.

“As an example, in years of severe mast failures in the Smokies, nuisance reports on black bears generally increase as the bears move into human-occupied areas seeking food,” said Unger.

Speaking of bears: Do recent bear sightings in Smokies, neighboring areas mean more bears this year?

However, the American chestnut tree blooms in June, avoiding the cold weather and providing a stable food source for animals.

“As such, the American chestnut was the most consistent food provider for wildlife year after year when it was dominant," said Unger. "We may never know the overall impact on the carrying capacity (the amount of life an ecosystem can support) of our forests once the chestnut had succumbed to blight.”

Beneficial for all

Through the agreement, Maryville College students and faculty can use the American chestnut orchard as a teaching and research tool throughout the years.

“Mountain Homes has a proven track record for conserving forest health; as an example, they have successfully managed to maintain their eastern hemlock trees in the face of the invasive insect that has devastated eastern forests, the hemlock wooly adelgid,” Crain said in a statement. “We at Maryville College are honored and thrilled to partner with them on this project to reestablish the American chestnut tree on their property.”

Since Mountain Homes is hosting the orchard on their property, they will receive information about the ecological features of their property. Mountain Homes is located 20 minutes away from Maryville College and right next to the Smokies.

TACF provided the initial seeds and technical expertise for the American chestnut research orchard.

“The only way this project happened is through collaboration (between Maryville College, Mountain Homes and TACF),” Unger said. “That is how most all conservation efforts need to be to have any chance at success."

Passing on the responsibility

Kathryn Maley is a senior biology major from Knoxville who headed the orchard planting event as part of her Senior Study project.

“Dr. Unger, knowing my passion for learning about plants and nurturing trees of my own, immediately offered the project opportunity to me, and I accepted without hesitation,” Maley said in a statement. “This project is far bigger than me, my mentors or my Senior Study. It is about the restoration of a foundation species which once comprised at least 25 percent of our native hardwood forests in eastern North America and provided a reliable annual mast production which fed wildlife as well as humans. It is THE MOST important thing I have ever been a part of.”

Maley's research focuses on germination (seed development) and growth rate of American chestnut hybrid seedlings. She'll be observing which trees produce more competitive seedlings, tracking how much water the seedlings need and more.

"They truly are like my children, and I will always be willing to return to give them whatever care is needed,” she said.

Unger hopes to continue the research each year by finding a student to oversee the project for a 12-month period.