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The Forest EcosystemFor a good introduction to the forests of North Georgia, see the Forest Ecosystem Study Unit for the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests put together by the National Forest Service and Georgia Forestry Commission. The major forest types in this ecosystem are mature pine and mature hardwood with a dogwood and sourwood understory. Major pine species include Loblolly and Shortleaf pine. Major deciduous species include American Holly, American Sycamore, Black Cherry, Black Locust, Flowering Dogwood, Mockernut Hickory, Pignut Hickory, Post Oak, River Birch, Sassafras, Southern Red Oak, and Winged Elm. A vegetation map of campus is currently under construction as is a list of native plants for use on campus. The last comprehensive inventory of woody plants on campus was done in 1970. Common wildlife species include Box Turtles, Cottontail Rabbit, Eastern Chipmunk, Fox Squirrel, Gray Squirrel, Gray Fox, Raccoon, Short-tailed Shrew, White-Tailed Deer and the following birds: Bobwhite, Cardinals, Carolina Wren, Pine Vole, and Wild Turkey (see also the list made by an Ecology class in Fall 1998). A gray fox has been sighted in Lullwater; also seen on campus have been the copperhead snake (Lullwater) and signs of mink (Peavine Creek). Beavers are often seen in our watershed at the South Fork Peachtree Creek Nature Preserve near North DeKalb Mall. The Murdy/Carter Report in 1986 pointed out that stands of well-preserved Piedmont forest remain on campus, especially in Wesley Woods and Lullwater Forest and strongly recommended protection of these areas. The trees and plants of these stands suffer the impacts of invasive non-native species like kudzu, privet, and english ivy as well as the excessive stormwater runoff from the impervious surfaces of roads, parking lots, and buildings. The wildlife suffer from the noise, the lights, and the reduction of the size of their natural habitat caused by campus development. Much of the negative impact can be mitigated, if not reversed. The Friends of Emory's Forests, for example, seek to restore many of the trees lost to development. |
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