Appalachian & Mixed Mesophytic Forests - A Global Ecoregion
One of the two richest temperate broadleaf forests on Earth
Snapshot: Ecoregion 69
Size:
351,500 sq. km (135,000 sq. miles)
Habitat type:
Temperate Broadleaf and Mixed Forests
Geographic Location:
Eastern United States
Conservation Status:
Vulnerable
Quiz Time!
Why do these forests appear to be enveloped in fog?
Answer:
So many green plants grow on the Appalachian mountains, releasing tons of water vapors into the air, that they fill the air with a smoky haze. And it's that haze that makes the Blue Ridge Mountains blue and the Smoky Mountains smoky!
About the Area
This Global ecoregion is made up of these terrestrial ecoregions: Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests; Appalachian mixed mesophytic forests.
This relatively small ecoregion contains a remarkable overlapping of forest habitats, thus supporting a tremendous diversity of species, especially rich in reptiles, amphibians, and birds. It is a single mountain range, one of the oldest on Earth, encompassing almost every forest type that occurs in the eastern half of North America, from mixed deciduous forests in the lowlands to spruce-fir forests, similar to boreal forests a thousand miles to the north.Local Species
This ecoregion is home to over 30 species of salamanders, predominantly within the Plethodontidae, including a number of endemics such as Black Mountain salamander (Desmognathus welten), Southern dusky salamander (D. auriculatus), Jordan's salamander (P. jordani), and Cheat Mountain salamander (P. nettingi).
Two reptiles - flattened musk turtle (Sternotherus depressus) and Alabama map turtle (Graptemys pulchra) are restricted to habitats in this ecoregion. Among the birds utilising diverse habitats are the Black-throated green warbler (Dendroica virens), Yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), Yellow-throated vireo (Vireo flavifrons), Red-eyed vireo (V. olivaceus), Black-throated blue warbler (Dendroica caerulescens), and Northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis).
Tree species include Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), Red spruce (Picea rubens), numerous oak species (Quercus spp.), the endemic Fraser fir (Abies fraseri), Balsam fir (A. balsamea), and Allegheny plum (Prunus alleghaniensis). Mammals such as the fisher (Martes pennanti) also roam these forests.
Threats
Logging and clearing for agriculture and development, acid rain deposition, and air pollution are major problems. Introduction of a non-native fungus has all but eliminated the once dominant American chestnut tree (Castanea dentata).
Resources
• NationalGeographic.com
