Spatial Data Diversity Spatial Data Diversity Supporting Herpetological Research in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Tanner M. Jessel 1, Paul E Super 2, and Thomas Colson 1 1 National Park Service, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 107 Park Headquarters Rd, Gatlinburg, TN National Park Service, Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, P.O. Box 357, Lake Junaluska, NC Objectives Intro To provide National Park Service personnel with the information they need “…to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations” as required under the Organic Act of To accomplish this, Great Smoky Mountains National Park has accumulated an extensive library of GIS and tabular data with which it hopes to attract outside research. Conducting Research Intro Ongoing Studies Intro Acknowledgements Intro Background Intro  Gifford ME and Kozak KH. Islands in the sky or squeezed at the top? Ecological causes of elevational range limits in montane salamanders.  Gray MJ et al. First Report of Ranavirus Infecting Lungless Salamanders.  Souza MJ et al. Prevalence of infection by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis and ranavirus in eastern hellbenders (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) in eastern Tennessee.  Fouts KL et al. Assessing Responses of Herpetological Communities to Fire Management Practices in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  Crawford J et al. Climate Change Effects on Elevational Distributions of Salamanders in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. All research in a National Park site requires a research permit Applications online at Not all research can be permitted within the Park  Very limited lethal collection is permitted  Moving of animals around the park is not permitted  Handling amphibians or visiting vernal pool areas requires protocols to prevent disease transmission; Ranavirus has been implicated in mortality in vernal pools.  Research must legally safeguard locations of rare or poachable species Research facilities with lab areas are available Twin Creeks, near Gatlinburg, TN Purchase Knob, near Maggie Valley, NC (seasonal housing available) The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is world renown for biological diversity of herpetofauna – especially salamanders. Paired with a diversity of spatial data available for the Park, occurrence records offer insights about amphibians and reptile species assemblages in the Southern Appalachian mountains. Further Information Intro References Intro Herpetofaunal Diversity Intro Great Smoky Mountains National Park  Paul Super, Science Coordinator, Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center at Purchase Knob  Tom Colson, GIS Program Manager, Twin Creeks Science and Education Center  National Park Service Spatial Data Portal  All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI):  ATBI Mapping Project: Distribution models made possible by:  SEElab, The University of Tennessee  Discover Life in America (DLIA)  Great Smoky Mountains National Park GIS Program Fig 1. Oak (Quercus spp.) distribution predicted by MaxEnt Spatial data contributing to species distribution models via maximum entropy (MaxENT) [Images courtesy: SEElab] Species Distribution Model Intro Fig 2. Copperhead SDM Amphibians and reptiles in Great Smoky Mountains are among the Park’s most cryptic species. Where might they be found within a rugged, 800 sq. mile preserve?  44 amphibians documented in Park  40 reptiles documented in Park  Might occurrence records inform:  habitat suitability?  species similarity?