Ecological land classification as a basic theme for the management of wildlands in Tennessee: A start

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) owns and/or cooperatively manages nearly 247 000 ha scattered across the state. To aid the management of this diversity of soils, landforms, and plant communities, TWRA has selected a flexible, ecological land classification system developed for the Interior Uplands in southeastern United States. Landtypes are the most detailed unit of the 5-level hierarchy. To date, four wildlife management areas and one state wetland have been mapped and entered into the agency s Geographic Information System (GIS). These five tracts are in the Upper Coastal Plain of west Tennessee, in the Western and Eastern Highland Rim regions of middle Tennessee, and in the Cumberland Mountains of east Tennessee. The history, physiography, geology, soils, topography, and vegetation of each area are discussed. After forest cover type and age information is merged with the landtypes, wildlife habitat modelling will commence.