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RESEARCH
Dr. Soulé was awarded a $6000 grant from Grandfather Mountain, Inc. to examine growth patterns on spruce trees at the highest elevations. Grandfather Mountain has long been recognized for its beauty and ecological significance. The mountain supports a suite of unique ecosystems and has been an International Biosphere Reserve for over a decade. One of the objectives of this work is to determine if spruce trees are growing slower in recent decades due to stresses imparted on the trees from acidic deposition (aka "acid rain"). All photographs are from summer 2006 fieldwork.
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Upper Left: Spruce tree
Upper Right:
A rare find:
Jesse Pope (head Naturalist, Grandfather Mountain ) touching a healthy and mature American chestnut tree
Center Left:
Spruce tree with significant foliar damage
Center Right:
Spruce trees on a steep slope
Lower Left:
Spruce forests on Grandfather Mountain
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