| Pretty
Hollow Creek |
Jess
Riddle |
| Oct
05, 2003 11:44 PDT |
Yesterday I visited Pretty Hollow Creek in the southeastern part
of the
Smokies. A trail follows the Creek and provides easy access to
uncut
hemlock and northern hardwood communities. The hemlock forests
range from
3600 to 4100' elevation, and have a fairly thick rhododendron
understory.
Small flats along the this section of the creek support yellow
buckeye and
other hardwoods and have a stinging nettle dominated herbaceous
layer.
Higher up beech, many of which are dead, and yellow birch form
most of the
canopy over a dense herbaceous layer of tall asters. Buckeye and
red
spruce commonly reach the canopy in this area also.
Most of the trees below were measured from the trail, but I
think they
give a fair view of the canopy heights in the area. A few of the
hemlocks
in the denser stands may be a little, but not significantly,
taller.
Unfortunately, the hemlocks avoided the richer flats along the
streams.
However, the abundance of rhodo-free areas on the streams did
allow me to
make quick excursions up Cooks Creek and Onion Bed Branch, the
two named
tributaries of Pretty Hollow Creek.
Species cbh height stream comments
Birch, yellow 11'11" 79+ Pretty Hollow Cr.
Hemlock 13'9" NA Cooks Creek
Hemlock 15'0" NA Cooks Creek Flared base
Hemlock NA 111.6' Pretty Hollow Cr.
Hemlock NA 117.6' Pretty Hollow Cr.
Hemlock NA 119.8' Pretty Hollow Cr.
Hemlock NA 122.6' Onion Bed Br.
Hemlock 11'7.5" 127.8' Onion Bed Br.
Hemlock NA 129.9' Pretty Hollow Cr.
Hemlock NA 133.5' Pretty Hollow Cr.
Hemlock NA 135.2' Onion Bed Br.
Locust, Black <6' 129.9' Pretty Hollow Cr.
Maple, Sugar 9'4" 126.2' Cooks Creek Branch, 138' from
below
Oak, Red 13'0" NA Pretty Hollow Cr.
Oak, white NA 120.9' Pretty Hollow Cr.
Spruce, Red NA 134.1' Onion Bed Br.
Spruce, Red 10'1" 142.1' Pretty Hollow Cr. @ ~3750'
Tuliptree NA 118.1' Pretty Hollow Cr.
Tuliptree NA 159.8' Pretty Hollow Cr. Previously measured 160+
Jess Riddle |
|