SPATIAL ANALYSIS OF AMERICAN CHESTNUT (CASTANEA DENTATA) DISTRIBUTION AND ECOLOGY IN KENTUCKY’S FEDERAL LANDS

Abstract

Anthropogenic factors have been the cause of the decline of tree species across the globe. From unsustainable logging and development to disease and improper management, threats to forests have taken their toll. The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was once an integral basal tree species in Appalachian forests, but chestnut blight drove the species to functional extinction by the mid-1900s. The recent creation of genetically modified chestnuts gives hope for future restoration of the species throughout its historical range. Despite blight resistance, effective restoration will require optimal site selection for finding and planting chestnuts, which will maximize limited resources. Increased efficiency and greater understanding of chestnut ecology will lead to fewer wasted resources and a timelier natural dispersal throughout the Appalachian landscape. This large-scale landscape analysis, centered around two of Kentucky’s public lands, evaluated the degree to which suitability criteria from literature can predict chestnut locations in both Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (LBL) and Daniel Boone National Forest (DBNF). Suitability maps coalescing literature-based criteria were created using GIS data and were validated in-situ at both sites. The model was found to predict chestnut presence in 25 percent of experimental sites versus 12 percent in control sites. Chestnuts were more commonly found in the field when utilizing the model than when conducting randomized searches. Chestnuts were also more likely to be found in DBNF compared to LBL, which may reflect historic population densities. Basal area and canopy shade were found to reduce chestnut occurrence as they increased, which suggests competition may be a critical component of chestnut conservation. My study provides a geospatial framework for the future conservation of American chestnut and other at-risk taxa such as ash (Fraxinus), hemlocks (Tsuga), and more