Back to Forests of the Central Appalachians | Feedback
Bland and Tazewell Counties, Virginia
April 2000
Garden Mountain
Source Walk: 7-2-99
Garden Mountain forms the southeast bound of the Burkes Garden Valley in a region of complex geologic structure (see our section "Land of Bowed Mountains") . Although not clearly differentiated on the Geologic Map of Virginia (Rader and Evans, 1993), it is likely that the Silurian age rocks, which comprise its crest, are composed dominantly of erosion-resistant sandstones. In any case, such rocks are exposed at the highest elevations attained on our traverse.
Our traverse, which began at 9:00 AM, originated at the State Route 623 crossing of the Appalachian Trail at an elevation of 3880 feet (1183 m) asl and extended southwest along the crest for approximately 1/3 mile (0.5 km) . The weather was markedly cooler than at our Laurel Creek camp 1300 feet (396 m) below (see our section on Little Wolf and Laurel Creeks), and it was overcast with a light drizzle. Veeries (Catharus fuscesens) called and warblers, among them Chestnut-sided (Dendroica pensylvanica), as well as numerous other unidentified birds were much in evidence foraging in both low and high foliage.
The mature but young canopy at the road crossing included Sugar and Red Maples, Northern Red Oak, Black Birch, the pignut hickory Carya glabra and American Basswood. A single 8 inch (20 cm) dbh Yellow Birch - the only member of the species seen all day - was also noted. Striped Maple formed a sparse understory and Allegheny Blackberry (Rubus allegheniesis) was the only shrub seen.
This mesic canopy, perhaps reflecting in part the relatively low local relief, was accompanied by a corresponding community of herbs. This included abundant and vigorous Mountain Oat Grass (Danthonia compressa), very abundant Mealy Bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata), Common Many Knees (Polygonatum biflorum), Broad-leaved Panic Grass (Panicum latifolium), a little May Apple (Podophyllum peltatum ), Intermediate Shield Fern (Dryopteris intermedia), Hairy Disporum (Disporum lanuginosum), Carrion Flower (Smilax herbacea ), a little each of the aliens Sweet Vernal Grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum) and Velvet Grass (Holcus lanatus), common, but thinly distributed Nodding Fescue (Festuca obtusa), Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea), Whorled Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadrifolia), a Clintonia (likely Clintonia borealis), the sedges Carex appalachica and C vulpinoides, and on rocks, Delicate Fern Moss (Thuidium delicatulum) and species of Dicranum and Hypnum.
This mesic flora accompanied us for a distance along the trail, where we saw Revolute Meadowrue (Thalictrum revolutum), Horse Balm (Collinsonia canadensis), Curtis Goldenrod (Solidago curtisii), Indian Cucumber-root (Medeola virginiana), White Avens (Geum canadense ) in bloom, White Snakeroot ( Eupatorium rugosum), abundant Sugar Maple seedlings, Hog Peanut (Amphicarpa bracteata ), the mosses Hedwigia ciliata and a Dicranum together on rocks, Early Meadowrue (Thalictrum dioicum), Virginia Knotweed (Polygonum virginianum) and American Lovage (Ligusticum canadense) .
Now beginning to climb, we encountered our first and abundant Southern Mountain Cranberry (Vaccinium erythrocarpum), American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) sprouts, a vine, likely Climbing False Buckwheat (Polygonum scandens), the sedge Carex digitalis, Cucumbertree, White Ash, Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia), the first Wild Lily of the Valley (Convallaria montana), Rock Fern (Polypodium virginianum) on sandstone and Canada Mayflower (Maianthemum canadense) in bloom. Also seen here, as well as earlier along the trail, was Fire Pink (Silene virginica) in full bloom. Some fungi noted on this section of the Trail were Collybia dryophylla, Tricholomopsis platyphylla and the edible Honey Mushroom (Armillariella mellea) .
Still climbing, we saw in turn Hairy Sweet Cicely (Osmorhiza claytoni), Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis), Great Chickweed (Stellaria pubera), Four-leaved Yam (Dioscorea quaternata), Saw Brier (Smilax glauca), Smooth Rockcress (Arabis laevigata), Enchanter's Nightshade (Circaea quadrisulcata), Boott's Goldenrod (Solidago boottii), Galax (Galax aphylla), Bowman's Root (Gillenia trifoliata ), an American Robin (Turdus migratorius), Starry Campion (Silene stellata), the Split-gill Mushroom (Schizophyllum commune), the dewberry Rubus flagellaris, Creeping Five-leaf (Potentilla simplex), abundant Striped Maple, Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum), Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) and abundant Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) . During this climb we heard frequent calls of Veeries, although this bird was never sighted. The alternation in this section between acidiphile and more alkaline-ranging plants likely reflects the inability of the coarse grain of our inventory to adequately assess microhabitats.
Continuing, we saw a lone seedling of Yellow Buckeye (Aesculus octandra) and the only representative of the species see all day; then the fungi Mycena leaiana and an unidentified Mycena, more Fire Pink, an unidentified Azalea (Rhododendron sp), a Paronychia, Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum), Black Cherry, Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), seedlings of Bitternut Hickory (Carya cordiformis), Interrupted Fern (Osmunda claytoniana) and Native Yarrow (Achillea millifolium var lanulosa) . Here we again became aware of the sandy character of the soil, a product of weathering of the sandstone.
We now observed an unusual occurrence of Hairy Heuchera (Heuchera villosa) on a tree stump; then an unusual association consisting of a few plants of Teaberry (Gaultheria procumbens) and Mealy Bellwort, and following these, abundant Southern Mountain Cranberry, the first-noted Fire Cherry (Prunus pensylvanica), a haircap moss (Polytrichum sp) on rock, then Mountain Bellwort (Uvularia pudica) with Upland Low Blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum) and very abundant Wild Lily of the Valley. Also seen here was the first Highbush Blueberry (V. corymbosum) with heavy clusters of berries, some of which were of a dark blue ripeness. It is possible that this blueberry is a hybrid, with Southern Mountain Cranberry as a participant.
Moving again along the Trail we at first saw abundant Wild Sarsaparilla under a canopy of Northern Red Oak with American Chestnut sprouts and, a little farther on, Chestnut Oak. Then,under blackberry bushes, we were surprised to see a large, beautifully patterned American Toad (Bufo americanus), which, on our return we were to again see still at precisely the same location.
We now began to climb more steeply under rainy skies, noting in succession Dotted St. Johns-wort (Hypericum punctatum), Rock Fern, More Native Yarrow, Serviceberry of unidentified species (Amelanchier sp), the first observed White Oak, Wavy-leaf Aster (Aster undulatus), Mountain Laurel, Wild Crabapple (Malus coronaria), Sugar Maple, Bracken Fern and Pale-leaved Sunflower (Helianthus strumosus).
Corydalis sempervirens, Garden Mountain, 7-2-99
Presently we reached a local summit at 4052 (1236 m ) asl on a prominent outcrop of sandstone. A low scattered canopy of Red Maple, Downy Serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), Black Birch, Fire Cherry and Mountain Ash (Sorbus americana) was accompanied by a shrub layer of Black Chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa ), Highbush Blueberry with green fruit, Mountain Laurel, Pennsylvania Blackberry (Rubus pensilvanicus) and Black Huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata) . Of particular interest among herbs was the biennial Pink Corydalis (Corydalis sempervirens), a boreal plant then in bloom. Other species noted in this climatically severe location were Saw Brier, very luxuriant Mountain Bellwort with copious fruit, abundant Wild Lily of the Valley, Rock and Intermediate Shield Ferns and Mountain Oat Grass. Birds heard and/ or seen here were Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) and Towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) .
As we again moved downslope through a forest with trees generally stunted and distorted by the elements, we successively encountered the pignut Carya glabra, a very vocal pair of Carolina Wrens (Thyrothorus ludvicianus) and, reflecting this xeric southwest slope, Smooth Yellow Foxglove (Aureolaria flava), Scarlet and Chestnut Oaks, both stunted, a Xerula fungus, Deer Berry (Vaccinium stamineum), Mountain Laurel, Bracken Fern, Cow Wheat (Melampyrum lineare) and more Chestnut Oak. We then began to see abundant and very luxuriant Hairy Heuchera in an unfamiliar habitat for this plant, namely flat areas of ground, but usually on rocks. Also seen here were Variable Panic Grass (Panicum commutatum ), Bushy Panic Grass (P. dichotomum), Pasture Rose (Rosa carolina), Wild Sarsaparilla and abundant macrolichens, including species of Usnea, on tree trunks. Additional fungi identified were Crepidotus mollis, C. applantus and an unidentified "wolf's milk" slime mold.
A species that had been observed earlier along the Trail, and which attracted our attention here, was the grass Nimblewill (Muhlenbergia schreberi), and perhaps indicating a more than usual fertile patch of soil, there was stunted Poke (Phytolacca americana), the alien Orchard Grass (Dactylis glomerata), Squaw Root (Conopholis americana), Bitternut Hickory, Sugar Maple, the hawthornCrataegus flabellata, Black Raspberry (Rubus occidentalis) and the fungus Mycena pura.
We soon arrived at another conspicuous but somewhat lower sandstone outcrop which bore a community comprised of Pink Corydalis, with abundant Hairy Heuchera, Canada Mayflower and cushions of unidentified species of Dicranum and Leucobryum mosses. Seen at the edge of this outcrop were unidentified Muhly (Muhlenbergia ) and Andropogon grasses, Purple Bedstraw (Galium latifolium), Mountain Maple (Acer spicatum) and Alternate-leaf Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) .
We ended our traverse amidst abundant Nodding Fescue, a little Asiatic Water Pepper (Polygonum caespitosum) and a single healthy-appearing Canada Hemlock.
Some species missed during our traverse but seen on our return to the road were Golden Alexander (Zizia trifoliata), Entire-leaved Yellow Foxglove (Aureolaria laevigata), Big-leaf Aster (Aster macrophyllus) and the fungi Stereum ostrea and Trichaptum biforme.
The plant communities on the Garden Mountain summit form a mosaic of nesic, quite rich soil types and acid- mesic and acid-xeric oligotropic types. Given that such high exposed ridges are almost invariably composed of erosion- resistant sandstone or quartzite, the presence of any mesic, rich soil communities may at first seem contradictory. To resolve this conundrum we must consider likely conditions for mass wasting on such ridges. First, it seens reasonable that for every unit lowering in elevation of the summit an enormous quantity of rock must be removed from the supporting slopes by slumping, sliding and water erosion. However, on the summit such processes are very limited since only weak gradients for them exist. Reduction in elevation must therefore result largely from in situ weathering through chemical dissolution, frost heaving etc., although wind erosion may play a role even in humid climates.
Although the solubility of silica in the quartz of sandstone is only of the order of 6 parts per million (Anderson,1972), its much lower concentration in rainwater insures that dissolution of sandstone will occur on these exposed ridges. By contrast, some impurities in the sandstone, such as the mineral apatite,which contain important soil nutrients such as phosphorus and calcium, have even lower solubilities than silica (Fuller, 1972 ). Consequently such nutrients may tend to accumulate in catchment areas of the summit as the sandstone weathers. These catchment areas may then favor mesic communities while more exposed areas would tend to be occupied by acid-xeric types.
Lick Creek/ Hunting Camp Creek Valley
Divide
Source Walk: 7-2-99
On our return from Garden Mountain we stopped briefly at the divide that separates the Lick and Hunting Creek Valleys. Elevation here is a little above 2700 feet (824 m) asl. The forest on the lower slope is an ericaceous oak type with a canopy dominated by White, Black, Scarlet and Chestnut Oaks, with subordinate Red Maple, Black Gum, the pignut Carya glabra and Fraser Magnolia. Striped Maple, Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) . Chinquapin (Castanea pumila), Upland Low Blueberry and an unidentified Azalea (Rhododendron sp) formed understory and shrub layers. Identified in the ground cover were Teaberry, Round -leaf Pyrola (Pyrola rotundifolia), Gay Wings (Polygalla paucifolia), Cow Wheat, Galax, Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens), the woodrush Luzula acuminata, Bushy Panic Grass, Mountain Oat Grass, Carex digitalis and the orchid Whorled Pogonia (Isotria verticillata) . A species of Hypnum moss was common on rocks.
References
Anderson, G. M., 1972, Silica Solubility in The Encyclopedia of Geochemistry and Environmental Sciences, Rhodes W.Fairbridge, editor, Von Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 1085-1087.
Fuller, Wallace H., 1972, Phosphorus Cycle in The Encyclopedia of Geochemistry and Environmental Sciences, Rhodes W. Fairbridge. editor, Von Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 946-951.
Rader, E. K. and N. H. Evans, editors, 1993, Geologic Map of Virginia- expanded explanation, Virginia Division of Mineral Resources, Charlottesville, Va.
Back to Forests of the Central Appalachians | Feedback