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Abstract
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) which lies on the border between Tennessee and North Carolina is one of the largest and most biodiverse protected areas in the United States. The land in the periphery and surrounding the GRSM has experienced noticeable changes in land use in recent years. The areas bordering the park have seen a waning in agricultural uses and a continuous growth in development in tourism and recreation. This study focuses on using aerial imagery and geographic information systems (GIS) to map and visualize land use and land cover changes (LULC) in the Cobbly Nob community from 1977-2005 and analyze the wildland-urban interface (WUI) occurring at the study area using housing and population information from the US Census. It also aims to identify areas where human/environmental conflicts occur including areas where fire dependent vegetation and human development overlap.