Central and southern Appalachian montane oak forest

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The Central and southern Appalachian montane oak forest is a forest system found in the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Appalachian Mountains mountain range in the eastern United States and Canada

The Appalachian Mountains, often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians first formed roughly 480 million years ago during the Ordovician Period. They once reached elevations similar to those of the Alps and the Rocky Mountains before experiencing natural erosion. The Appalachian chain is a barrier to east–west travel, as it forms a series of alternating ridgelines and valleys oriented in opposition to most highways and railroads running east–west.

West Virginia State in the United States

West Virginia is a state located in the Appalachian region of the Southern United States, and is also considered to be a part of the Mid-Atlantic Southeast Region. It is bordered by Pennsylvania to the north, Maryland to the east and northeast, Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, and Ohio to the northwest. West Virginia is the 41st largest state by area, and is ranked 38th in population. The capital and largest city is Charleston.

Virginia State in the United States

Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States located between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, which provide habitat for much of its flora and fauna. The capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond; Virginia Beach is the most populous city, and Fairfax County is the most populous political subdivision. The Commonwealth's estimated population as of 2018 is over 8.5 million.

Contents

These forests occur on exposed sites such as ridgecrests and south- to west-facing slopes, typically from about 3,000 to 4,500 feet (910 to 1,370 m) elevation, but sometimes extending to 5,500 feet (1,700 m). Soils are thin, weathered, nutrient-poor, low in organic matter, and acidic. Trees are often stunted and wind-flagged.

Flora

The Central and southern Appalachian montane oak forest commonly includes: the Northern red oak ( Quercus rubra ) and white oak ( Quercus alba ), and sprouts of American chestnut ( Castanea dentata ).

<i>Quercus rubra</i> species of plant

Quercus rubra, commonly called northern red oak or champion oak, is an oak in the red oak group. It is a native of North America, in the eastern and central United States and southeast and south-central Canada. It grows from the north end of the Great Lakes, east to Nova Scotia, south as far as Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana, and west to Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and Minnesota. It has been introduced to small areas in Western Europe, where it can frequently be seen cultivated in gardens and parks. It prefers good soil that is slightly acidic. Often simply called red oak, northern red oak is so named to distinguish it from southern red oak, also known as the Spanish oak. It is also the state tree of New Jersey and the provincial tree of Prince Edward Island.

<i>Quercus alba</i> species of plant

Quercus alba, the white oak, is one of the preeminent hardwoods of eastern and central North America. It is a long-lived oak, native to eastern and central North America and found from Minnesota, Ontario, Quebec, and southern Maine south as far as northern Florida and eastern Texas. Specimens have been documented to be over 450 years old.

Common shrubs include: Winterberry ( Ilex montana ), flame azalea ( Rhododendron calendulaceum ), catawba rhododendron ( Rhododendron catawbiense ), and great rhododendron ( Rhododendron maximum ). [1] [2] [3] [4]

<i>Ilex montana</i> species of plant

Ilex montana, the mountain winterberry, is a species of holly native to the Eastern United States, ranging along the Appalachian Mountains from southeast Massachusetts to northeast Alabama and northern Georgia. Synonyms include Ilex monticola.

<i>Rhododendron calendulaceum</i> species of plant

Rhododendron calendulaceum, the flame azalea, is a species of Rhododendron native to the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States, ranging from southern New York to northern Georgia.

<i>Rhododendron catawbiense</i> species of plant

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 United States, growing mainly in the southern Appalachian Mountains from Virginia south to northern Alabama.

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 of forest land is spread across southwestern Virginia, western North Carolina, the tip of South Carolina, northern Georgia, and eastern Tennessee. The annual precipitation is more than 60 inches. The Southern Appalachian spruce–fir forest is a temperate rainforest located in the higher elevations in southwestern Virginia and western North Carolina. Fir is dominant at higher elevation, spruce at middle elevation, and mixed forests at low elevation.

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Great Smoky Mountains American mountain range along North Carolina/Tennessee border

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<i>Rhododendron maximum</i> species of plant

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The Southern Appalachian low-elevation pine forest is a forest system that occurs in Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. It is found in the lower elevations of the southern Appalachian Mountains and adjacent Piedmont and Cumberland Plateau, extending into part of the Interior Low Plateaus.

The Southern Ridge and Valley / Cumberland dry calcareous forest is a forest system found in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The Central Appalachian dry oak-pine forest is a forest system found from Maine south through New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, to West Virginia and Virginia. It is abundant in the low- and mid-elevation central Appalachian Mountains and in the central Piedmont.

Central Appalachian pine-oak rocky woodland is a forest system found in Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia. It occurs on lower-elevation hilltops, outcrops, and rocky slopes in the central Appalachian Mountains, the Allegheny Plateau, and the northern Piedmont.

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Beartown Wilderness Addition A Protected natural area in Virginia, United States

Beartown Wilderness Addition A, a wildland in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests of western Virginia, has been recognized by the Wilderness Society as a special place worthy of protection from logging and road construction. The Wilderness Society has designated the area as a “Mountain Treasure”.The area. adjacent to the Beartown Wilderness, is proposed as an addition to the wilderness.

Garden Mountain Cluster Protected natural area in Virginia, United States

The Garden Mountain Cluster is a region in the Jefferson National Forest recognized by The Wilderness Society for its diversity of habitats extending along the east, south and west of Burke's Garden. The cluster, part of the Appalachian Mountains in southwest Virginia, connects wildlands in the high country of Garden Mountain and adjacent streams and ridges in one of the most remote areas of Virginia.

References

  1. ↑ "Central and Southern Appalachian Montane Oak Forest". NatureServe Explorer. Retrieved 10 October 2012.
  2. ↑ "Natural Communities of Virginia - Terrestrial System - Low-Elevation Dry and Dry - Mesic Forests and Woodlands: Montane Mixed Oak and Oak - Hickory Forests". Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Archived from the original on 1 May 2007. Retrieved 17 October 2012.
  3. ↑ George Washington National Forest 1993 Revised Forest Plan. United States Forest Service. 1993.
  4. ↑ Jefferson National Forest 2004 Revised Forest Plan. United States Forest Service. 2004.
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