Tulula Wetlands
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Site History and Restoration Plans |
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General
Information. - The Tulula Wetlands is a 95-hectare
site in Graham County, North Carolina that was purchased by
the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) as a
wetland mitigation bank for surface transportation projects
in western North Carolina. The site is nestled between Cheoh
Bald and the Snowbird Mountains near the headwaters of
Tulula Creek at 799 m (2620 feet) above sea level, and is
mostly surrounded by national forests. It contains a
mountain floodplain forest-fen complex that includes a
variety of wetland habitats such as woodland seepages,
vernal ponds, and boggy openings (fens). Mountain fens,
vernal ponds, and floodplain forests provide critical
habitats for many native plants and animals in the southern
Appalachians, but most of these habitats have been destroyed
due to human activities. The Tulula Wetlands is the last
remaining swamp-forest fen complex in Graham County. Because
fewer than 100 hectares of this rare community type are
known in North Carolina, NCDOT gave high priority for
purchasing the site for use as a mitigation bank.
Since 1994, our research group has been working with the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), other state and federal agencies, and environmental consultants to develop and implement a plan to restore the site. Our research team consists of Dr. Kevin Moorhead, Dr. Kitti Reynolds, and Dr. Irene Rossell (UNCA Environmental Studies Department), Dr. Jim Petranka (UNCA Biology Department), Reed Rossell (contract biologist and Research Associate, UNCA Environmental Studies Department), and scores of UNCA undergraduate researchers. Please explore the links above for information on the history, biodiversity, hydrology, soils, and ongoing restoration of the Tulula Wetlands.
This site maintained at the University of North Carolina at Asheville
Comments to: Jim Petranka
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