Research

The 43,500 acre Jocassee Gorges provides opportunities for scientific research on many aspects of the fauna, flora and general ecological processes of the mountainous Blue Ridge Escarpement. The Jocassee Gorges Professional Management and Research Working Group serves as the clearinghouse for research proposed and conducted on the property. The Working Group is a joint venture between the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Clemson University, the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, and the South Carolina Forestry Commission. The role of the Working Group is to insure that the most complete scientific data available are considered in making management decisions, the most appropriate strategies are used for surveying, inventorying and monitoring on the property, and to develop funding proposals and seek funding sources for research at Jocassee.

Institutions, organizations or individuals with a desire to conduct research on the Jocassee Gorges should contact the Working Group, by providing a research proposal to either of the Working Group co-chairs:

The Working Group will evaluate research proposals to determine relevance to the long-range research issues of importance for the Jocassee Gorges. Once the evaluation process has been completed, prospective researchers will coordinate with SCDNR to obtain appropriate permits.

Some of the recent and current research at Jocassee Gorges includes:

"A Review of the Amphibians of the Jim Timmerman Natural Resources Area, Oconee and Pickens Counties, South Carolina - (Adobe PDF - file size 20M)," by Dr. Richard R. Montanucci, retired Clemson University professor. Southeastern Naturalist, Volume 5, Monograph 1, 2006.

"Monitoring and Status Surveys of Rare Species in the Jocassee Gorges" Mary Bunch, SCDNR-  principal investigator

"Trout Angler Surveys" Dan Rankin, SCDNR- principal investigator

"The Small Mammal Population of the Jocassee Gorges of South Carolina: Broad Patterns and Effects of White Pine Management" Christine Lewis and Dr. David Tonkyn, Clemson University- principal investigators

"A Floristic Study of the Cane Creek Drainage Area in Jocassee Gorges" Layla Waldrop and Dr. Robert Ballard, Clemson University- principal investigators

"Endangered Species Spatial Risk Assessment to Fire Ant Impacts" Leslie Parris and Dr. Craig Allen, Clemson University- principal investigators

"Breeding Ecology of Swainson’s Warblers in the Jocassee Gorges Region of South Carolina" Dr. Drew Lanham, Clemson University- principal investigator

"Avian Diversity in the Jocassee Gorges and Ellicott Rock Wilderness in South Carolina as a Result of Historical Habitat Management and Ecological Site Types" Scott Abella and Dr. Vic Shelburne, Clemson University- principal investigators

"Population Genetics and Geographic Variation in the Shovel-nosed Salamander Desmognathus marmoratus" Tildon Jones and Dr. David Tonkyn, Clemson University- principal investigators

"The Influence of Soil Calcium on Land Snail and Carabid Beetle Assemblages in the Jocassee Gorges of South Carolina" Rocky Nation and Dr. David Tonkyn, Clemson University- principal investigators

Adobe® Reader® is required to open the above files and is available as a free download from the Adobe® Web site.