Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina
(Note the gradation of deciduous forest to coniferous at higher elevations)
Climate: Generally milder climate than western forests. Temperature ranges of -30 deg C to >35 deg C. Higher precipitation (60 to >230 cm per year). Snowfall frequent at higher elevations and latitudes. Much lower elevations than western forests.
Typical Vegetation: Oaks, beech, hickory, maple, poplar, walnut. Rhododendron and mountain laurel. Numerous species of wildflowers many endemic to small areas. Kudzu, an exotic species, has invaded many areas in the southern deciduous forest. At higher elevations the deciduous forest makes a transition to a coniferous forest of pine, fir, and spruce. Fraser fir, a coniferous species, is declining rapidly because of an exotic insect infestation which attacks the base of the tree's needles. Extensive tracts of dead standing timber are prevalent at high elevations because of this infestation..
Typical Animals: Deer, black bear, gray squirrel, black bear, feral hogs. Squirrels, through their nut gatherering efforts, may be a keystone species in these forests. Some attribute the return of deciduous forest to northern areas after glaciation to squirrels. Prior to settlement and major landscape changes, trout were native to many streams.
Human Use and Conservation Issues: In 1600 this forest type was almost unbroken from Georgia to Maine. European settlement significantly changed this landscape. Farming, domestic stock such as hogs, and logging are key agents of change. Strip mining for coal has also destroyed extensive tracts. Very little old growth forest remains. Industrialization has modified much of this forest type. Areas such as Great Smoky Mountains National Park, although they have the appearance of a pristine forest, are actually third and fourth growth forests.
D.J. Huebner, 2001, University of Texas at Austin, Department of Geography
