Optimizing Select Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri) Reforestation Methods within an Artificial Bald at Mount Buckley, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Abstract - Abies fraseri (Fraser Fir) has a range that is restricted to high-elevation stands in the southern Appalachian Mountains with few suitable locations. Adelgid piceae (Balsam Wooly Adelgid) depredation that induced high mortality and chronic losses, and other anthropogenic causes, have led to Fraser Fir being designated as an endangered species by the IUCN Red List. There is great interest in restoring Fraser Fir through managed reforestation efforts, especially in protected areas such as Great Smoky Mountains National Park. To optimize Fraser Fir reestablishment in formerly forested sites, we designed a study to examine reforestation success by comparing survival and growth using treatments including mycorrhizal seedling transplants, local seedling transplants, local soil inocula, and mulching conditions to suppress surrounding vegetation. We found that while some treatments increased seedling survival and growth, any benefit was slight compared to local seedling transplants from adjacent mature Fraser Fir stands and/or local soil inocula. Greenhouse manipulations were more costly and time intensive for very little added benefit. We conclude that transplanting local seedlings with native soil to restore damaged sites provides the maximum return on investment and is a viable option for reforestation of Fraser Fir, but a sufficient local seedling bank may not always be available.