THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 9, 1997 TAG: 9701090341
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SCOTT HARPER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 119 lines
There are 23 types of snakes in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, including the largest rattlesnake in Virginia. There are black widow spiders, big-eared bats, ticks, mosquitoes, snapping turtles, bobcats and black bears.
But the species that caused the most angst among scientists at a swamp symposium this week at Old Dominion University doesn't bite, sting or growl.
It is a simple tree - the red maple, which is quietly taking over the forested wetlands of the 107,000-acre refuge and significantly changing this desolate but rich ecosystem that stretches across coastal Virginia and North Carolina.
Biologists and other experts have gathered to discuss the Great Dismal Swamp only three times this century; the first symposium occurred in 1911, the second in 1974. On Monday and Tuesday, they met again to compare notes and hear the latest trends - including the expanding dominance of the red maple, which now covers about 70 percent of the refuge.
As several researchers warned, the maple is forcing out traditional and important vegetation, threatening a biodiversity that has allowed numerous types of plants and wildlife to thrive.
Among them: the black bear, which avoids maple stands because they provide no food; and the Swainson's warbler, a rare yellow bird, prized by naturalists, that shies away from maple trees for its nests.
The symposium also featured pointed warnings from scientists about increasing development on the edges of the swamp, especially in Suffolk and Chesapeake. There, many old farms are being sold, and the land converted into suburban homes, shopping centers and roads.
This trend, scientists said, threatens to turn the refuge into a giant green island, cutting it off from other wilderness in North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic and curtailing natural movement and interaction of animals in their historic ranges.
In addition, the gathering of more than 100 scientists, environmentalists and swamp-watchers offered an opportunity to gain insight into what remains a mysterious, dark world that many residents of Hampton Roads do not know exists.
``One thing that comes across so clear,'' concluded ODU biology professor Lytton J. Musselman, who has studied the swamp for years, ``is an immense fascination and love for the swamp that almost transcends common sense.''
His comment brought self-deprecating laughter from many in the audience, who probably have wondered at one time or another why they were wading through mud, mosquitoes and humidity to catch a glimpse of a rare fern or a poisonous snake.
From the time George Washington started logging in the swamp in the 1760s as part of his Dismal Swamp Land Company, Atlantic white cedar and cypress trees ruled the saturated forest.
But as timbering operations expanded, and as more and more farmers drained chunks of the swamp to make room for crops and homesteads, conditions changed. The soil began to dry out.
This transformation was hastened by the construction of numerous ditches and canals, used mostly for quick transport of timber to market. While good for commerce, the ditches altered natural hydrology.
``When you talk about hydrology, you're talking about the lifeblood of the swamp, '' said Lloyd Culp, refuge manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ``We're extremely sensitive to the changes made in this area.''
A drier swamp marked the advance of the red maples, which previously could only grow in small upland pockets, away from the swamp's wet interior.
Now, however, cypress and Atlantic white cedar can only be found in piecemeal stands. One researcher, Susan Moore of the University of Florida, predicted Monday that without aggressive forest management, cedar will be wiped out of the refuge within years.
Another traditional tree species, the long-leafed pine, already is vanquished, scientists said. With this loss has came the disappearance of the red-cockaded woodpecker, a federally protected endangered species. The woodpecker can no longer be found in the refuge and is believed to have moved south to find its preferred pine habitat.
The maple also has been aided over the years by fear of forest fire. Fires in the swamp can smolder for weeks, spreading smoke into neighboring communities and making travel on Virginia Route 58 hazardous. Fire prevention has been especially aggressive since the swamp was declared a national refuge, in 1974.
Caused mostly by lightning strikes, wildfires once served to clear land for seed germination, allowing nature to correct itself when evolution spun off course. With fewer fires, though, maples have been able to keep their dominance.
Culp said the refuge will continue to suppress wildfires. But he added that refuge staffers soon will experiment with controlled burns, perhaps as early as this winter, in hopes of creating space and habitat for traditional plant species, including the long-leafed pine and Atlantic white cedar.
No new ditches have been dug since the swamp was declared a refuge, and Culp said his staff will continue to try to re-create natural groundwater conditions by installing culverts and through other methods.
To protect itself against encroaching development, the refuge would like to acquire more property. However, money is scarce. Culp said a 3,000-acre tract in the northeast corner of the swamp could be bought if Congress would appropriate the funds. But that hasn't happened.
Money also is the chief hurdle for a visitors center at the refuge, which environmental and nature groups have long sought as a way to generate public education and support.
William Ashley, a Suffolk resident and member of the local Izaak Walton League who was instrumental in preserving the swamp as a national refuge, said a visitors center is next on his wish list.
``I hope the government doesn't cut back too much,'' said Ashley, who lobbied Congress in the early 1970s for the refuge designation. ``There's enough interest, I think, for a center. I'd just like to see more people enjoy this remarkable resource. It's really something to see.'' ILLUSTRATION: GREAT DISMAL SWAMP WILDLIFE REFUGE/File photo
The Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge contains a desolate
but rich ecosystem that stretches over 107,000 acres on the
Virginia-North Carolina border.
ROBERT D. VOROS
The Virginian-Pilot
At a symposium Monday and Tuesday at Old Dominion University,
researchers warned that the red maple is forcing out important and
traditional vegetation, threatening a biodiversity that has allowed
numerous types of plants and wildlife to thrive.
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