Estimation of Potential Losses from Ozone Damage to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s Climate Regulation and Water Provision Services

The deciduous forest ecosystems of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) occupies the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. The GSMNP protects the headwaters for forty-five watersheds, and is home to more than fifty percent of the old-growth forest remaining in the eastern United States. Although national parks are highly protected, many threats to preserved ecosystems, such as air pollution, originate outside the park and can have detrimental effects on the park’s resources. The National Park Service studied the effects from ozone pollution on two important ecosystem services provided by GSMNP: climate stabilization and water provision.