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The Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests is an ecoregion of the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
biome A biome () is a biogeographical unit consisting of a biological community that has formed in response to the physical environment in which they are found and a shared regional climate. Biomes may span more than one continent. Biome is a broader ...
, as defined by the World Wildlife Fund. It consists of
mesophytic Mesophytes are terrestrial plants which are neither adapted to particularly dry nor particularly wet environments. An example of a mesophytic habitat would be a rural temperate meadow, which might contain goldenrod, clover, oxeye daisy, and ''Rosa ...
plants west of the
Appalachian Mountains The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, (french: Appalaches), are a system of mountains in eastern to northeastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They ...
in the Southeastern United States. This ecoregion consists of the following EPA level III ecoregions: * Southwestern Appalachians (ecoregion) * Central Appalachians (ecoregion) *
Western Allegheny Plateau (ecoregion) The Western Allegheny Plateau is an ecoregion of the Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests Biome, located on the western Allegheny Plateau and in the Appalachia region of the Eastern United States. Geography The Western Allegheny Plateau ecoreg ...


Setting

This ecoregion is located in the plains and hill country west of the Appalachians in northwest
Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = " Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,7 ...
and east central Tennessee, eastern Kentucky, western North Carolina and Virginia, most of West Virginia, western Maryland, southeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. This ecoregion also occurs in scattered disjuncts in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains of
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage la ...
, Missouri, and extreme eastern Oklahoma. These forests are known for their rich diversity of plants and animals, which is due to several contributing factors, especially that the area was an unglaciated refugium for many species. It shares species with the high elevation Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests to the east, the hardwood forests to the west, and the mixed hardwood/ conifer forests to the south.


Climate

The climate varies from
humid continental A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezin ...
in the north to humid subtropical in the south.


Flora

They are one of the most biologically diverse temperate forest regions on earth. It has an unusually diverse tree
flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring ( indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or ''skin flora''. ...
, with as many as 30 tree species at a single site including many relics of the ancient forest that once covered North America more widely. Along with the forest there is a rich undergrowth of ferns, fungi, herbaceous plants, shrubs and small trees as well as areas of glade, heath, shale, peat bog and
cranberry Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus ''Oxycoccus'' of the genus ''Vaccinium''. In Britain, cranberry may refer to the native species '' Vaccinium oxycoccos'', while in North America, cranberry ...
bog.


Mesophytic forests

Mesophytic forests are found on deep and enriched soils in sheltered topography such as coves and low-elevation slopes. They are often found near small streams. The herb layer is very rich and, in undisturbed areas, the trees can grow very large. Typical trees include sugar maple (''
Acer saccharum ''Acer saccharum'', the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the prim ...
''), beech ('' Fagus grandifolia''), tuliptree (''
Liriodendron tulipifera ''Liriodendron tulipifera''—known as the tulip tree, American tulip tree, tulipwood, tuliptree, tulip poplar, whitewood, fiddletree, and yellow-poplar—is the North American representative of the two-species genus ''Liriodendron'' (the other ...
''), basswood ('' Tilia americana''), northern red oak (''
Quercus rubra ''Quercus rubra'', the northern red oak, is an oak tree in the red oak group (''Quercus'' section ''Lobatae''). It is a native of North America, in the eastern and central United States and southeast and south-central Canada. It has been introd ...
''), cucumber tree ('' Magnolia acuminata''), and black walnut ('' Juglans nigra''). Other trees found here are eastern hemlock (''
Tsuga canadensis ''Tsuga canadensis'', also known as eastern hemlock, eastern hemlock-spruce, or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as ''pruche du Canada'', is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It is the state tree of ...
''), white ash ('' Fraxinus americana''), sweetgum (''
Liquidambar styraciflua American sweetgum (''Liquidambar styraciflua''), also known as American storax, hazel pine, bilsted, redgum, satin-walnut, star-leaved gum, alligatorwood, or simply sweetgum, is a deciduous tree in the genus ''Liquidambar'' native to warm temper ...
''), and yellow buckeye (''
Aesculus flava ''Aesculus flava'', the yellow buckeye, common buckeye, or sweet buckeye, is a species of deciduous tree. It is native to the Ohio Valley and Appalachian Mountains of the Eastern United States. It grows in mesophytic forest or floodplains, genera ...
'').


Dry calcareous forests

The southern Ridge and Valley/Cumberland dry calcareous forests occur on dry to dry- mesic
calcareous Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. In zoology ''Calcareous'' is used as an adje ...
habitats on low escarpments of the
Cumberland Plateau The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and portions of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. The terms "All ...
. They are often found on deep soils in a variety landscapes within their range. Trees are mainly oaks and hickories, with other species less abundant. Oaks include white oak ('' Quercus alba''), northern red oak (''
Quercus rubra ''Quercus rubra'', the northern red oak, is an oak tree in the red oak group (''Quercus'' section ''Lobatae''). It is a native of North America, in the eastern and central United States and southeast and south-central Canada. It has been introd ...
''), post oak (''
Quercus stellata ''Quercus stellata'', the post oak or iron oak, is a North American species of oak in the white oak section. It is a slow-growing oak that lives in dry areas on the edges of fields, tops of ridges also grows in poor soils, and is resistant to r ...
''), chinkapin oak (''
Quercus muehlenbergii ''Quercus muehlenbergii'', the chinquapin (or chinkapin) oak, is a deciduous species of tree in the white oak group (''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus''). The species was often called ''Quercus acuminata'' in older literature. ''Quercus muehlenbergii' ...
''), and Shumard oak (''
Quercus shumardii ''Quercus shumardii'', the Shumard oak, spotted oak, Schneck oak, Shumard red oak, or swamp red oak, is one of the largest of the oak species in the red oak group (''Quercus'' section ''Lobatae''). It is closely related to '' Quercus buckleyi'' ...
''). Hickories include shagbark hickory (''
Carya ovata ''Carya ovata'', the shagbark hickory, is a common hickory in the Eastern United States and southeast Canada. It is a large, deciduous tree, growing well over tall, and can live more than 350 years. The tallest measured shagbark, located in Sav ...
''). Other trees can be sugar maple (''
Acer saccharum ''Acer saccharum'', the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the prim ...
''), eastern red-cedar ('' Juniperus virginiana''), or pines.


Appalachian cove forests

Appalachian cove forests are found in sheltered concave slopes with a moist environment. Characteristic tree include yellow buckeye (''
Aesculus flava ''Aesculus flava'', the yellow buckeye, common buckeye, or sweet buckeye, is a species of deciduous tree. It is native to the Ohio Valley and Appalachian Mountains of the Eastern United States. It grows in mesophytic forest or floodplains, genera ...
''), sugar maple (''
Acer saccharum ''Acer saccharum'', the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the prim ...
''), white ash ('' Fraxinus americana''), basswood ('' Tilia americana''), tuliptree (''
Liriodendron tulipifera ''Liriodendron tulipifera''—known as the tulip tree, American tulip tree, tulipwood, tuliptree, tulip poplar, whitewood, fiddletree, and yellow-poplar—is the North American representative of the two-species genus ''Liriodendron'' (the other ...
''), Carolina silverbell ('' Halesia tetraptera''), eastern hemlock (''
Tsuga canadensis ''Tsuga canadensis'', also known as eastern hemlock, eastern hemlock-spruce, or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as ''pruche du Canada'', is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It is the state tree of ...
''), beech ('' Fagus grandifolia''), cucumber tree ('' Magnolia acuminata''), and Fraser magnolia ('' Magnolia fraseri'').


Dry-mesic oak forests

Dry-mesic oak forests cover large areas at lower and middle elevations on flat to gently rolling terrain. Mature stands have a variety of oak and hickory species adapted to dry- mesic conditions. Oaks include northern red oak (''
Quercus rubra ''Quercus rubra'', the northern red oak, is an oak tree in the red oak group (''Quercus'' section ''Lobatae''). It is a native of North America, in the eastern and central United States and southeast and south-central Canada. It has been introd ...
''), white oak ('' Quercus alba''), black oak (''
Quercus velutina ''Quercus velutina'', the black oak, is a species of oak in the red oak group (''Quercus'' sect. ''Lobatae''), native and widespread in eastern and central North America. It is sometimes called the eastern black oak. ''Quercus velutina'' was pre ...
''), and scarlet oak (''
Quercus coccinea ''Quercus coccinea'', the scarlet oak, is a deciduous tree in the red oak section ''Lobatae'' of the genus ''Quercus'', in the family Fagaceae. It is primarily distributed in the central and eastern United States. It occurs on dry, sandy, usuall ...
''); hickories include mockernut hickory (''
Carya tomentosa ''Carya tomentosa'', (mockernut hickory, mockernut, white hickory, whiteheart hickory, hognut, bullnut) is a tree in the Juglandaceae or walnut family. The most abundant of the hickories, common in the eastern half of the US, it is long lived, ...
''), shagbark hickory (''
Carya ovata ''Carya ovata'', the shagbark hickory, is a common hickory in the Eastern United States and southeast Canada. It is a large, deciduous tree, growing well over tall, and can live more than 350 years. The tallest measured shagbark, located in Sav ...
''), red hickory ('' Carya ovalis''), and pignut hickory (''
Carya glabra ''Carya glabra'', the pignut hickory, is a common, but not abundant species of hickory in the oak-hickory forest association in the Eastern United States and Canada. Other common names are pignut, sweet pignut, coast pignut hickory, smoothbark ...
''). In addition, red maple (''
Acer rubrum ''Acer rubrum'', the red maple, also known as swamp maple, water maple, or soft maple, is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern and central North America. The U.S. Forest Service recognizes it as the most abundant nati ...
''), sweet birch (''
Betula lenta ''Betula lenta'' (sweet birch, also known as black birch, cherry birch, mahogany birch, or spice birch) is a species of birch native to eastern North America, from southern Maine west to southernmost Ontario, and south in the Appalachian Mounta ...
''), and yellow birch (''
Betula alleghaniensis ''Betula alleghaniensis'', the yellow birch, golden birch, or swamp birch, is a large tree and an important lumber species of birch native to northeastern North America. Its vernacular names refer to the golden color of the tree's bark. In the pa ...
'') are common; sugar maple (''
Acer saccharum ''Acer saccharum'', the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the prim ...
'') is occasional. In areas that have been recently disturbed, white pine ('' Pinus strobus''), Virginia pine (''
Pinus virginiana ''Pinus virginiana'', the Virginia pine, scrub pine, Jersey pine, Possum pine, is a medium-sized tree, often found on poorer soils from Long Island in southern New York south through the Appalachian Mountains to western Tennessee and Alabama. The ...
''), or tulip tree (''
Liriodendron tulipifera ''Liriodendron tulipifera''—known as the tulip tree, American tulip tree, tulipwood, tuliptree, tulip poplar, whitewood, fiddletree, and yellow-poplar—is the North American representative of the two-species genus ''Liriodendron'' (the other ...
'') can be abundant. Areas of impeded drainage sometimes harbor small wetlands, including non-forested seeps or forested wetlands with red maple (''
Acer rubrum ''Acer rubrum'', the red maple, also known as swamp maple, water maple, or soft maple, is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern and central North America. The U.S. Forest Service recognizes it as the most abundant nati ...
''), swamp white oak ('' Quercus bicolor''), or black tupelo (''
Nyssa sylvatica ''Nyssa sylvatica'', commonly known as tupelo, black tupelo, black gum or sour gum, is a medium-sized deciduous tree native to eastern North America from the coastal Northeastern United States and southern Ontario south to central Florida and e ...
'').


Dry oak forests and woodlands

The Allegheny-Cumberland dry oak forest and woodland forest system is found on acidic soils on the Allegheny and
Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 1974 ...
plateaus, and ridges in the southern
Ridge and Valley The Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, also called the Ridge and Valley Province or the Valley and Ridge Appalachians, are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian division and are also a belt within the Appalachian Mountains extending ...
. The forests are typically dominated by white oak ('' Quercus alba''), southern red oak (''
Quercus falcata ''Quercus falcata'', also called southern red oak, spanish oak, bottomland red oak or three-lobed red oak is an oak (part of the genus ''Quercus''). Native to the southeastern United States, it gets its name the "Spanish Oak" as these are the ar ...
''), chestnut oak (''
Quercus prinus ''Quercus montana'', the chestnut oak, is a species of oak in the white oak group, ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus''. It is native to the eastern United States, where it is one of the most important ridgetop trees from southern Maine southwest ...
''), scarlet oak (''
Quercus coccinea ''Quercus coccinea'', the scarlet oak, is a deciduous tree in the red oak section ''Lobatae'' of the genus ''Quercus'', in the family Fagaceae. It is primarily distributed in the central and eastern United States. It occurs on dry, sandy, usuall ...
''), with lesser amounts of red maple (''
Acer rubrum ''Acer rubrum'', the red maple, also known as swamp maple, water maple, or soft maple, is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern and central North America. The U.S. Forest Service recognizes it as the most abundant nati ...
''), pignut hickory (''
Carya glabra ''Carya glabra'', the pignut hickory, is a common, but not abundant species of hickory in the oak-hickory forest association in the Eastern United States and Canada. Other common names are pignut, sweet pignut, coast pignut hickory, smoothbark ...
''), and mockernut hickory (''
Carya tomentosa ''Carya tomentosa'', (mockernut hickory, mockernut, white hickory, whiteheart hickory, hognut, bullnut) is a tree in the Juglandaceae or walnut family. The most abundant of the hickories, common in the eastern half of the US, it is long lived, ...
''). A few shortleaf pines (''
Pinus echinata ''Pinus echinata'', the shortleaf pine, is a species of pine native to the southeastern United States. Description The tree is variable in form, sometimes straight, sometimes crooked, with an irregular crown. The tree reaches heights of with a ...
'') or Virginia pines (''
Pinus virginiana ''Pinus virginiana'', the Virginia pine, scrub pine, Jersey pine, Possum pine, is a medium-sized tree, often found on poorer soils from Long Island in southern New York south through the Appalachian Mountains to western Tennessee and Alabama. The ...
'') may occur, particularly adjacent to escarpments or following fire. Sprouts of chestnut (''
Castanea dentata The American chestnut (''Castanea dentata'') is a large, fast-growing deciduous tree of the beech family native to eastern North America. As is true of all species in genus Castanea, the American chestnut produces burred fruit with edible nuts. ...
'') can often be found where it was formerly a common tree.


Low-elevation pine forests

Southern Appalachian low-elevation pine forests occur on a variety of topographic and landscape positions, including ridgetops, upper- and mid-slopes, and in lower elevations (generally below ) such as mountain valleys. These forests dominated by shortleaf pine (''
Pinus echinata ''Pinus echinata'', the shortleaf pine, is a species of pine native to the southeastern United States. Description The tree is variable in form, sometimes straight, sometimes crooked, with an irregular crown. The tree reaches heights of with a ...
'') and Virginia pine (''
Pinus virginiana ''Pinus virginiana'', the Virginia pine, scrub pine, Jersey pine, Possum pine, is a medium-sized tree, often found on poorer soils from Long Island in southern New York south through the Appalachian Mountains to western Tennessee and Alabama. The ...
''). Pitch pine ('' Pinus rigida'') may sometimes be present. Hardwoods are sometimes abundant, especially dry-site oaks such as southern red oak (''
Quercus falcata ''Quercus falcata'', also called southern red oak, spanish oak, bottomland red oak or three-lobed red oak is an oak (part of the genus ''Quercus''). Native to the southeastern United States, it gets its name the "Spanish Oak" as these are the ar ...
''), chestnut oak (''
Quercus prinus ''Quercus montana'', the chestnut oak, is a species of oak in the white oak group, ''Quercus'' sect. ''Quercus''. It is native to the eastern United States, where it is one of the most important ridgetop trees from southern Maine southwest ...
''), and scarlet oak (''
Quercus coccinea ''Quercus coccinea'', the scarlet oak, is a deciduous tree in the red oak section ''Lobatae'' of the genus ''Quercus'', in the family Fagaceae. It is primarily distributed in the central and eastern United States. It occurs on dry, sandy, usuall ...
''), but also pignut hickory (''
Carya glabra ''Carya glabra'', the pignut hickory, is a common, but not abundant species of hickory in the oak-hickory forest association in the Eastern United States and Canada. Other common names are pignut, sweet pignut, coast pignut hickory, smoothbark ...
''), red maple (''
Acer rubrum ''Acer rubrum'', the red maple, also known as swamp maple, water maple, or soft maple, is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern and central North America. The U.S. Forest Service recognizes it as the most abundant nati ...
''), and others. The
shrub layer Stratification in the field of ecology refers to the vertical layering of a habitat; the arrangement of vegetation in layers. It classifies the layers (sing. ''stratum'', pl. ''strata'') of vegetation largely according to the different heights to w ...
may be well-developed, with hillside blueberry ('' Vaccinium pallidum''), black huckleberry (''
Gaylussacia baccata ''Gaylussacia baccata'', the black huckleberry, is a common huckleberry found throughout a wide area of eastern North America. Distribution The plant is native to Eastern Canada and the Great Lakes region, the Midwestern and Northeastern Uni ...
''), or other acid-tolerant species most characteristic. Herbs are usually sparse but may include narrowleaf silkgrass ('' Pityopsis graminifolia'') and Goat-rue ('' Tephrosia virginiana'').


Montane oak forests

Montane oak forests occur on exposed ridges and on south- to west-facing slopes at middle elevations. Soils are thin and nutrient-poor and trees are often stunted and wind-flagged. Northern red oak (''
Quercus rubra ''Quercus rubra'', the northern red oak, is an oak tree in the red oak group (''Quercus'' section ''Lobatae''). It is a native of North America, in the eastern and central United States and southeast and south-central Canada. It has been introd ...
'') and white oak ('' Quercus alba'') are common, as are sprouts of American chestnut (''
Castanea dentata The American chestnut (''Castanea dentata'') is a large, fast-growing deciduous tree of the beech family native to eastern North America. As is true of all species in genus Castanea, the American chestnut produces burred fruit with edible nuts. ...
''). Winterberry (''
Ilex montana ''Ilex montana'', the mountain winterberry (or "mountain holly" which is more typically '' Ilex mucronata''), is a species of holly native to the Eastern United States, ranging along the Appalachian Mountains from southeast Massachusetts to north ...
''), flame azalea (''
Rhododendron calendulaceum ''Rhododendron calendulaceum'', the flame azalea, is a species of ''Rhododendron'' native to North America. All parts of this plant are poisonous to humans. Description It is a deciduous shrub, 120–450 cm tall. The leaves are simple, 3� ...
''), catawba rhododendron (''
Rhododendron catawbiense ''Rhododendron catawbiense'', with common names Catawba rosebay, Catawba rhododendron, mountain rosebay, purple ivy, purple laurel, purple rhododendron, red laurel, rosebay, rosebay laurel, is a species of ''Rhododendron'' native to the eastern Un ...
''), and great rhododendron (''
Rhododendron maximum ''Rhododendron maximum'' — its common names include great laurel, great rhododendron, rosebay rhododendron, American rhododendron and big rhododendron — is a species of ''Rhododendron'' native to the Appalachians of eastern North America, fro ...
'') are common shrubs.


Hemlock-northern hardwood forests

Hemlock-northern hardwood forests are found at higher elevations. They include yellow birch (''
Betula alleghaniensis ''Betula alleghaniensis'', the yellow birch, golden birch, or swamp birch, is a large tree and an important lumber species of birch native to northeastern North America. Its vernacular names refer to the golden color of the tree's bark. In the pa ...
''), mountain maple (''
Acer spicatum ''Acer spicatum'', the mountain maple, dwarf maple, moose maple, or white maple, is a species of maple native to northeastern North America from Saskatchewan to Newfoundland, and south to Pennsylvania. It also grows at high elevations in the sout ...
''), sugar maple (''
Acer saccharum ''Acer saccharum'', the sugar maple, is a species of flowering plant in the soapberry and lychee family Sapindaceae. It is native to the hardwood forests of eastern Canada and eastern United States. Sugar maple is best known for being the prim ...
''), beech ('' Fagus grandifolia''), and eastern hemlock (''
Tsuga canadensis ''Tsuga canadensis'', also known as eastern hemlock, eastern hemlock-spruce, or Canadian hemlock, and in the French-speaking regions of Canada as ''pruche du Canada'', is a coniferous tree native to eastern North America. It is the state tree of ...
''). Mountain laurel ('' Kalmia latifolia'') and rhododendron (''
Rhododendron ''Rhododendron'' (; from Ancient Greek ''rhódon'' "rose" and ''déndron'' "tree") is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are nat ...
'' spp.) are found in the understory.


Spruce-fir forests

Spruce-fir forests occur at the highest elevations, above . Their environment is cool and wet, with frequent fog and precipitation. Red spruce (''
Picea rubens ''Picea rubens'', commonly known as red spruce, is a species of spruce native to eastern North America, ranging from eastern Quebec and Nova Scotia, west to the Adirondack Mountains and south through New England along the Appalachians to western ...
'') and Fraser fir (''
Abies fraseri The Fraser fir (''Abies fraseri'') is a species of fir native to the Appalachian Mountains of the Southeastern United States. ''Abies fraseri'' is closely related to ''Abies balsamea'' (balsam fir), of which it has occasionally been treated as ...
'') dominate the forest canopy.


Bogs

Cranberry bogs harbor species typical of ecoregions found to the north. These species include cranberry and blueberry ('' Vaccinium'' spp.), bog rosemary ('' Andromeda glaucophylla''), and buckbean (''
Menyanthes trifoliata ''Menyanthes'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Menyanthaceae containing the single species ''Menyanthes trifoliata''. The North American form is often referred to as ''M. trifoliata'' var. ''minor'' Michx. It is known ...
''). These bogs are relicts that have survived since the last
glacial period A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betw ...
.


Other habitats

More unique, restricted habitats within these forests include glades, heath barrens, shale barrens, and sphagnum bogs. These often support endemic plants and land snails.


Prehistoric period

During the Last Glacial Maximum about 18,000 years ago, the influence of Arctic air masses and boreal vegetation extended to about 33° N. latitude, the approximate latitude of
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
and
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
. Forests of the glacial period were dominated by various spruces (''
Picea A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' (), a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal ( taiga) regions of the Earth. ''Picea'' is the sole genus in the subfam ...
'' spp.) and
jack pine Jack pine (''Pinus banksiana'') is an eastern North American pine. Its native range in Canada is east of the Rocky Mountains from the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories to Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, and the north-central and n ...
; fir (''
Abies Firs (''Abies'') are a genus of 48–56 species of evergreen coniferous trees in the family Pinaceae. They are found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The genus is most closely re ...
'' spp.) was abundant in some locations. With the exception of the absence of certain prairie elements, the understories of these forests were generally typical of modern spruce-fir forests within and near Canada. Temperate deciduous forests dominated from about 33° to 30° N. latitude, including most of the glacial Gulf Coast from about 84° W. longitude. Regional climate was similar to or slightly drier than modern conditions. Oak, hickory, chestnut, and southern pine species were abundant. Walnuts, beech, sweetgum, alder, birch, tulip poplar, elms, hornbeams (''
Carpinus Hornbeams are hardwood trees in the flowering plant genus ''Carpinus'' in the birch family Betulaceae. The 30–40 species occur across much of the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Origin of names The common English name ''hor ...
'' spp.), basswoods, and others that are generally common in modern southern deciduous forests were also common then.
Grass Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns and ...
es, sedges, and
sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), as ...
s were also common.


Fauna

The woodlands of the area are rich in wildlife. In particular they are important habitat for migrating birds including
wood warbler The wood warbler (''Phylloscopus sibilatrix'') is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe, and just into the extreme west of Asian Russia in the southern Ural Mountains. This warbler is stro ...
s,
vireo The vireos make up a family, Vireonidae, of small to medium-sized passerine birds found in the New World (Canada to Argentina, including Bermuda and the West Indies) and Southeast Asia. "Vireo" is a Latin word referring to a green migratory bir ...
s, and thrushes. The rivers of the ecoregion have the highest species richness of any
freshwater ecosystem Freshwater ecosystems are a subset of Earth's aquatic ecosystems. They include lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, springs, bogs, and wetlands. They can be contrasted with marine ecosystems, which have a larger salt content. Freshwater habitats c ...
. In particular, there are a large number of endemic fish and shellfish species.


Threats

This ecoregion is considered critically endangered with 95% of the habitat degraded or converted to commercial forest. Large areas have been destroyed and fragmented through surface mining, including mountaintop removal. Large areas have also been logged and then converted to plantations of fast-growing tree species, such as Loblolly Pine (''Pinus taeda'') which are then used to produce wood pulp, which is particularly a problem in the
Cumberland Plateau The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau in the Appalachian Mountains of the United States. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee, and portions of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia. The terms "All ...
of Tennessee. Another threat to habitats come from growing numbers of deer. Major rivers in the ecoregion, such as the
Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names, ...
, have been dammed. This has resulted in the threatened or endangered status of many species of native fish, amphibians, and
shellfish Shellfish is a colloquial and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater enviro ...
.


Natural areas

The remaining forest is mostly found in protected areas. * Alabama **
Monte Sano State Park Monte Sano State Park is a publicly owned recreation area and mountaintop retreat encompassing on the eastern portion of the top and slopes of Monte Sano Mountain on the east side of Huntsville, Alabama. The state park has 1930s-era, Civilian C ...
**
Oak Mountain State Park Oak Mountain State Park is a public recreation area located approximately south of Birmingham in the northeast quadrant of the city of Pelham, Alabama, United States. It is the state's largest state park at and is home to the Alabama Wildlife ...
**
Talladega National Forest The Talladega National Forest is located in the U.S. state of Alabama and covers 392,567 acres (613.39 sq mi, or 1,588.66 km2) at the southern edge of the Appalachian Mountains. Before it was bought by the federal government in the 1930s, ...
***
Cheaha Wilderness The Cheaha Wilderness lies next to Cheaha State Park, near the Talladega Mountains in Alabama, United States. It lies within the Talladega National Forest and is administrated by the US Forest Service. Congress designated the area on January 3, ...
** William B. Bankhead National Forest *** Sipsey Wilderness * Georgia **
Cloudland Canyon State Park Cloudland Canyon State Park is a Georgia state park located near Trenton and Cooper Heights on the western edge of Lookout Mountain. One of the largest and most scenic parks in Georgia, it contains rugged geology, and offers visitors a range ...
* Kentucky ** Blanton Forest State Nature Preserve **
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, commonly known as Big South Fork, preserves the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River and its tributaries in northeastern Tennessee and southeastern Kentucky. Within it are reminders of th ...
**
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park The Cumberland Gap National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located at the border between Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia, centered on the Cumberland Gap, a natural break in the Appalachian Mountains. The park lies ...
** Daniel Boone National Forest ***
Beaver Creek Wilderness Beaver Creek Wilderness is a wilderness area located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was designated wilderness in 1975 and is managed by the Stearns Ranger District of the Daniel Boone National Forest.
**
Kentenia State Forest Kentenia State Forest is a state forest in Harlan County, Kentucky, United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North Ameri ...
** Kentucky Ridge State Forest **
Robinson Forest The Robinson Forest is a research, education, and extension forest owned by the University of Kentucky and managed by the Department of Forestry in the College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment. The forest covers in Breathitt County, Kentuc ...
* Maryland ** Garrett State Forest ** Potomac State Forest * Ohio ** Ales Run Wilderness Area **
Beaver Creek State Park Beaver Creek State Park is a public recreation area in Columbiana County, Ohio in the United States. The park is near East Liverpool on the banks of Little Beaver Creek. Remnants of the historic Sandy and Beaver Canal can be found throughout t ...
** Blue Rock State Forest **
Brush Creek State Forest Brush Creek State Forest is a state forest in Adams County, Ohio, United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America ...
** Brush Creek Wilderness Area **
Burr Oak State Park Burr Oak State Park is a public recreation area located northeast of Glouster in the U.S. state of Ohio. The park sits mostly in Morgan County, with part extending into Athens County. The state park is centered at Burr Oak Lake. The dam for ...
** Clear Creek Nature Preserve ** Crown City Wildlife Area ** Dean State Forets ** Egypt Valley Wilderness Area ** Fernwood State Forest ** Highlandtown Wilderness Area ** Hocking State Forest **
Mohican-Memorial State Forest Mohican-Memorial State Forest is a state forest in Ashland County, Ohio, United States. Mohican-Memorial State Forest is used for forest research, demonstrations of good forest management, tree seed for nurseries, recreation, and protection of ...
** Muskingum River State Park ** Perry State Forest ** Pike State Forest ** Salt Fork State Park **
Shade River State Forest Shade River State Forest is a state forest in Meigs County, Ohio Meigs County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 22,210. Its county seat is Pomeroy. The county is named for Retur ...
**
Shawnee State Forest Shawnee State Forest, also known as "Ohio's Little Smokies", is a state forest in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is located in western Scioto County and eastern Adams County and encompasses of woodland. It is the largest state forest in Ohio. As wi ...
**
Strouds Run State Park Strouds Run State Park is a public recreation area abutting the city of Athens in Athens County, Ohio, in the United States. The state park is located primarily in Canaan Township, with a small part in Ames Township. Park boundaries coincide ...
** Tar Hollow State Forest ** Tri-Valley Wilderness Area ** Wayne National Forest ** Wolf Creek Wilderness Area ** Woodybury State Wilderness Area **
Zaleski State Forest Zaleski State Forest is a state forest in the U.S. state of Ohio, located primarily in Vinton County, with areas in Athens County as well. The 28,000 acre (110 km²) forest surrounds Lake Hope State Park in Vinton County, and borders t ...
* Pennsylvania **
Black Moshannon State Park Black Moshannon State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Rush Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It surrounds Black Moshannon Lake, formed by a dam on Black Moshannon Creek, which has given its name to the lake and park. ...
**
Forbes State Forest Forbes State Forest is a Pennsylvania state forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #4. The main offices are located in Laughlintown in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Mount Davis, the highest peak in Penn ...
**
Gallitzin State Forest Gallitzin State Forest is a Pennsylvania State Forest in Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry District #6. The main offices are located in Ebensburg in Cambria County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The forest is located on in two tracts. The ...
**
Laurel Hill State Park Laurel Hill State Park is a Pennsylvania state park in Jefferson and Middlecreek Townships, Somerset County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Laurel Hill Lake is a man-made lake with a dam that was constructed during the Great Depression b ...
**
Laurel Ridge State Park Laurel Ridge State Park is a Pennsylvania state park that passes through Cambria, Fayette, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties, Pennsylvania in the United States. History and location The park is made up of several non-contiguous tracts, ...
**
Moraine State Park Moraine State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Brady, Clay, Franklin, Muddy Creek, and Worth townships in Butler County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The park's main feature is its man-made lake, Lake Arthur, formed by impoundi ...
**
Ohiopyle State Park Ohiopyle State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on in Dunbar, Henry Clay and Stewart Townships, Fayette County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The focal point of the park is the more than of the Youghiogheny River Gorge that passes throug ...
**
Prince Gallitzin State Park Prince Gallitzin State Park is a Pennsylvania state park with acreage in both Chest and White Townships in Cambria County of West Central Pennsylvania in the United States, near both Gallitzin Borough, & Gallitzin Township in the greater Alt ...
**
Raccoon Creek State Park Raccoon Creek State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on Raccoon Creek in Hanover and Independence townships in Beaver County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The park is about from the city of Pittsburgh, near Hookstown. Raccoon Creek ...
** Roaring Run Natural Area * Tennessee **
Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area The Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, commonly known as Big South Fork, preserves the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River and its tributaries in northeastern Tennessee and southeastern Kentucky. Within it are reminders of th ...
**
Catoosa Wildlife Management Area Catoosa Wildlife Management Area is a large game-management area on the Upper Cumberland Plateau in Morgan, Cumberland and Fentress counties in Tennessee in the United States. It comprises 96,000 acres (332 km2) of wild land administered by ...
**
Fall Creek Falls State Park Fall Creek Falls State Resort Park is a state park in Van Buren and Bledsoe counties, in the U.S. state of Tennessee. The over park is centered on the upper Cane Creek Gorge, an area known for its unique geological formations and scenic waterfa ...
**
Frozen Head State Park Frozen Head State Park and Natural Area is a state park in Morgan County, Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. The park, situated in the Crab Orchard Mountains between the city of Wartburg and the community of Petros, contains some of ...
** Prentice Cooper State Forest **
Scott State Forest Scott may refer to: Places Canada * Scott, Quebec, municipality in the Nouvelle-Beauce regional municipality in Quebec * Scott, Saskatchewan, a town in the Rural Municipality of Tramping Lake No. 380 * Rural Municipality of Scott No. 98, Sask ...
** South Cumberland Recreation Area **
South Cumberland State Park South Cumberland State Park is a state park in the middle and southeast portions of Tennessee on the Cumberland Plateau. The park is one of Tennessee's newer state parks, established in 1978. It is a collection of nine discrete tracts scattered ...
* Virginia ** Parts of Jefferson National Forest *** Stone Mountain Wilderness * West Virginia **
Babcock State Park Babcock State Park is a state park located along the New River Gorge on wooded in Fayette County, West Virginia. It is located approximately 20 miles away from the New River Gorge Bridge. Located near the park headquarters, the Glade Creek Gr ...
**
Beech Fork State Park Beech Fork State Park is a state park located in Cabell County and Wayne County, West Virginia. The park is located on the tailwater shores of Beech Fork Lake, a flood control impoundment of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Beech Fork of ...
** Blackwater Falls State Park **
Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge The Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge (CVNWR) in Tucker County, West Virginia, was the 500th National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) to be established in the United States. The refuge preserves a moist valley with unique wetlands and uplands at a rela ...
**
Canaan Valley Resort State Park Canaan Valley Resort State Park is a state park in the eastern United States, within Canaan Valley in Tucker County, West Virginia. Located in the highest valley east of the Mississippi River, the park contains the second-largest inland wetland ...
**
Cedar Creek State Park Cedar Creek State Park is sited on along Cedar Creek in Gilmer County, West Virginia, located about south of Glenville. Two of the buildings at the park are historical restorations of West Virginia's pioneer days, including a log cabin now u ...
** Chief Logan State Park **
Coopers Rock State Forest Coopers Rock State Forest is a state forest in Monongalia and Preston counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. Its southern edge abuts Cheat Lake and the canyon section of Cheat River, a popular whitewater rafting river in the eastern U ...
**
Gauley River National Recreation Area The Gauley River National Recreation Area, located near Summersville, West Virginia, protects a portion of the Gauley River and a segment of the Meadow River in southern West Virginia. Little of the national recreation area is accessible via ...
**
Holly River State Park Holly River State Park is a state park located in Webster County, West Virginia. Situated on the Left Fork of the Holly River near the town of Hacker Valley, it is the second largest park in the West Virginia state park system with a total of . ...
**
Kanawha State Forest Kanawha State Forest is a recreation area located near the community of Loudendale, West Virginia, which is about from downtown Charleston, West Virginia, United States. It is managed by the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. Whi ...
**
Monongahela National Forest The Monongahela National Forest is a national forest located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It protects over of federally managed land within a proclamation boundary that includes much of the Potomac Highlands Regi ...
***
Cranberry Wilderness The Cranberry Wilderness is a U.S. wilderness area in the Monongahela National Forest of southeast West Virginia, United States. Its name derives from the nearby Cranberry Glades as well as from the Cranberry River and Cranberry Mountain. In ...
***
Dolly Sods Wilderness The Dolly Sods Wilderness – originally simply Dolly Sods – is a U.S. Wilderness Area in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, US, and is part of the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). Dolly Sod ...
***
Otter Creek Wilderness The Otter Creek Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness area located in the Cheat-Potomac Ranger District of Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, USA. The Wilderness sits in a bowl-shaped valley formed by Otter Creek, between McGowan Mountain and ...
***
Roaring Plains West Wilderness The Roaring Plains West Wilderness is a U.S. Wilderness Area in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, USA. It is part of the Monongahela National Forest and includes Mount Porte Crayon, the sixth highest point in the state. Known as ...


See also

*
Appalachian temperate rainforest The Appalachian temperate rainforest is located in the southern Appalachian Mountains of the eastern U.S. About 351,500 square kilometers (135,000 square miles) of forest land is spread across eastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia, western North ...
* Western Allegheny Plateau ecoregion: WWF sub−ecoregion on the western
Allegheny Plateau The Allegheny Plateau , in the United States, is a large dissected plateau area of the Appalachian Mountains in western and central New York, northern and western Pennsylvania, northern and western West Virginia, and eastern Ohio. It is divided ...
. *
List of ecoregions in the United States (WWF) The following is a list of ecoregions in the United States as identified by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The United States is a megadiverse country with a high level of endemism across a wide variety of ecosystems. Terrestrial ecoregi ...
* List of ecoregions in the United States (EPA)


References


Bibliography

* *
Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests images at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu
* {{cite web, url=http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/sustain/report/terra2/terra2.htm, title=Chapter 2 (TERRA–2): The History of Native Plant Communities in the South, last=Owen, first=Wayne, year=2002, work=Southern Forest Resource Assessment Final Report, publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station, accessdate=2008-07-29 * Data source for map
Olson, D. M. and E. Dinerstein. The Global 200: Priority ecoregions for global conservation. (PDF file) Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 89: pgs. 125-126
Appalachian forests Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in the United States Ecoregions of the United States Laurel Highlands Ecology of the Appalachian Mountains * Plant communities of the Eastern United States Plant communities of Alabama Plant communities of Georgia (U.S. state) Plant communities of Kentucky Plant communities of Maryland Plant communities of Ohio Plant communities of Pennsylvania Plant communities of Tennessee Plant communities of Virginia Plant communities of West Virginia Appalachian Ohio East Tennessee Western Maryland