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31:
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Heath balds are typically found along narrow ridges and mountain crests, and consist of dense evergreen shrubs. While the formation of grassy balds is a mystery, heath balds are often located in areas where the soil experiences heavy drainage or is highly acidic, which would complicate the growth of
234:
The character and distribution of
Appalachian balds remained stable from the time the first naturalists explored the region until forestry regulations no longer permitted annual pasturing of local cattle. How and why a summit develops into a grassy bald is unknown; they represent "an ecological
255:, grazing pressure was maintained by deer and elk, and then by the grazing animals of European settlers. Some recent studies have attempted to uncover the vegetation history of some balds through analysis of the soil's organic component, since grasses leave a characteristic
235:
enigma and a conservation dilemma". Weigl and
Knowles note that "the presence of both rare, endemic plants and northern relicts requiring open habitat suggests a long evolutionary history" and offer a scenario in which grazing pressure of the giant herbivores of the
259:
fingerprint. While there is some evidence that grassy balds have natural origins, the forest quickly started to reclaim the balds once large-scale livestock grazing was eliminated by the creation of national parks and national forests. Grassy balds such as
83:, whereas an adjacent summit, Round Bald (el. 5,826 ft/1,776 m), is almost entirely devoid of trees. Why some summits are bald and some are not is a mystery, though there are several hypotheses.
107:
Grassy balds are relatively blunt summits covered by a dense sward of native grasses. Two types have been identified: those completely covered by grasses and those with a scattered overstory of
75:, is that a lack of trees is normal for the colder climate of the former but abnormal for the warmer climate of the latter. One example of southern balds' abnormality can be found at
1336:
1356:
1197:
52:, balds are mountain summits or crests covered primarily by thick vegetation of native grasses or shrubs occurring in areas where heavy forest growth would be expected.
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1124:
80:
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1194:"Natural Communities of Virginia - Terrestrial System - High Elevation Mountain Communities: Southern Appalachian Shrub and Grass Balds"
269:
1193:
55:
Balds are found primarily in the
Southern Appalachians, where, even at the highest elevations, the climate is too warm to support an
1376:
60:
59:, areas where trees fail to grow due to short or non-existent growing seasons. The difference between an alpine summit, such as
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1253:
Res. Pap. SRS-13. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 12 p
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148:
154:
212:
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346:
323:
1251:
Assessing the vegetation history of three
Southern Appalachian balds through soil organic matter analysis
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45:
115:. Grassy balds are normally found at the summit of hills, but can also be found on broad upper slopes.
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908:
812:
597:
244:
1215:
Weigl, Peter D.; Knowles, Travis W. (1995). "Megaherbivores and
Southern Appalachian Grass Balds".
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are currently maintained as bald areas by the
National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service.
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79:, where Roan High Knob (el. 6,285 ft/1,915 m) is coated with a dense stand of
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1192:
Fleming, G. P.; Patterson, K. D.; Taverna, K.; Coulling, P. P. (2010).
240:
1249:
Knoepp, Jennifer D.; Tieszen, Larry L.; Fredlund, Glen G. (1998).
90:
1129:
143:
183:
Mixed shrublands of
Catawba rhododendron, mountain-laurel (
170:
Four general types of vegetation are found on heath balds:
1266:(Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2006), 47-48.
1173:(Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2006), 47-48.
1157:(Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2006), 47.
247:
retreated far to the north. With the arrival of the
95:
Clear vistas make grassy balds attractive to hikers
1198:Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
1165:
1163:
99:Two types of balds are found in the Appalachians:
198:Deciduous shrublands of American mountain-ash (
118:Species found here include mountain oat-grass (
1200:, Division of Natural Heritage. Archived from
174:Evergreen shrublands of Catawba rhododendron (
283:form a distinctive stretch for hikers of the
8:
1337:Natural history of the Great Smoky Mountains
219:Deciduous shrubland of smooth blackberry (
1357:Plant communities of Georgia (U.S. state)
1276:Appalachian Trail: Southern Balds Section
294:
29:
1187:
1185:
1183:
1181:
1179:
1146:
1125:Southern Appalachian spruce-fir forest
7:
1367:Ecology of the Appalachian Mountains
210:), and southern mountain-cranberry (
1342:Plant communities of North Carolina
279:The mountaintop meadows called the
1327:Flora of the Appalachian Mountains
1237:10.1111/j.1468-2257.1995.tb00176.x
146:such as three-toothed cinquefoil (
25:
152:) and Blue Ridge St. Johns-wort (
1303:TNlandforms.us: Tennessee balds
291:List of major Appalachian Balds
1347:Plant communities of Tennessee
1:
1372:Flora of Georgia (U.S. state)
1352:Plant communities of Virginia
251:and the disappearance of the
1120:Cove (Appalachian Mountains)
1281:September 29, 2007, at the
1403:
1264:Encyclopedia of Appalachia
1171:Encyclopedia of Appalachia
1155:Encyclopedia of Appalachia
189:), and black huckleberry (
1093:Southern Blue Ridge Mtns.
978:Southern Blue Ridge Mtns.
909:Southern Blue Ridge Mtns.
813:Central Blue Ridge Mtns.
177:Rhododendron catawbiense
149:Sibbaldiopsis tridentata
1377:Flora of North Carolina
1298:Roan Mountain Highlands
213:Vaccinium erythrocarpum
155:Hypericum mitchellianum
1262:Peter White, "Balds,"
1169:Peter White, "Balds,"
1153:Peter White, "Balds,"
1089:4,075 ft/1,242 m
1064:4,437 ft/1,352 m
1043:4,450 ft/1,356 m
1018:4,455 ft/1,358 m
997:4,629 ft/1,411 m
974:4,696 ft/1,431 m
947:4,732 ft/1,442 m
926:4,754 ft/1,449 m
905:4,784 ft/1,458 m
878:4,920 ft/1,500 m
851:4,949 ft/1,508 m
830:5,062 ft/1,543 m
809:5,152 ft/1,507 m
788:5,200 ft/1,585 m
767:5,200 ft/1,585 m
744:5,240 ft/1,597 m
723:5,342 ft/1,628 m
700:5,360 ft/1,634 m
677:5,400 ft/1,646 m
652:5,420 ft/1,652 m
631:5,429 ft/1,655 m
604:5,485 ft/1,672 m
575:5,516 ft/1,681 m
554:5,540 ft/1,688 m
531:5,560 ft/1,609 m
510:5,560 ft/1,609 m
485:5,587 ft/1,703 m
460:5,607 ft/1,709 m
433:5,820 ft/1,773 m
408:5,826 ft/1,775 m
387:5,920 ft/1,804 m
364:6,189 ft/1,886 m
343:6,214 ft/1,894 m
320:6,410 ft/1,950 m
96:
67:, and a bald, such as
41:
1332:Appalachian Mountains
272:and the balds in the
167:large wooded plants.
130:ssp. sphaerostachya,
94:
73:Great Smoky Mountains
46:Appalachian Mountains
33:
1035:Grassy/Young forest
895:Grassy/Young forest
598:Thunderhead Mountain
477:Grassy/Young forest
245:Wisconsin glaciation
1229:1995GroCh..26..365W
923:Ben Parton Lookout
230:Origin and dynamics
192:Gaylussacia baccata
121:Danthonia compressa
1382:Flora of Tennessee
1135:Golets (geography)
1086:Big Bald Mountain
993:Max Patch Mountain
514:Great Balsam Mtns.
361:Grassy Ridge Bald
347:Great Balsam Mtns.
324:Great Balsam Mtns.
239:retained the open
139:Carex pensylvanica
97:
42:
1387:Flora of Virginia
1362:Community ecology
1322:Appalachian balds
1307:GPS data and maps
1217:Growth and Change
1106:
1105:
1047:Grayson Highlands
1022:Great Smoky Mtns.
951:Great Smoky Mtns.
930:Great Smoky Mtns.
882:Great Smoky Mtns.
855:Great Smoky Mtns.
771:Great Smoky Mtns.
696:Bob Stratton Bald
681:Great Smoky Mtns.
608:Great Smoky Mtns.
558:Grayson Highlands
550:Whitetop Mountain
528:Huckleberry Knob
464:Great Smoky Mtns.
391:Great Smoky Mtns.
339:Black Balsam Knob
285:Appalachian Trail
127:Carex brunnescens
81:spruce-fir forest
35:Grassy Ridge Bald
16:(Redirected from
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1285:
1273:
1267:
1260:
1254:
1247:
1241:
1240:
1212:
1206:
1205:
1189:
1174:
1167:
1158:
1151:
1115:Appalachian bogs
649:Yellow Mountain
601:(middle summit)
295:
222:Rubus canadensis
207:Menziesia pilosa
201:Sorbus americana
186:Kalmia latifolia
113:herbaceous layer
61:Mount Washington
21:
18:Appalachian bald
1402:
1401:
1397:
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1312:
1311:
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1283:Wayback Machine
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1214:
1213:
1209:
1191:
1190:
1177:
1168:
1161:
1152:
1148:
1143:
1111:
806:Sandymush Bald
792:Nantahala Mtns.
748:Nantahala Mtns.
741:Tusquitee Bald
727:Nantahala Mtns.
600:
316:Richland Balsam
293:
243:habitat as the
232:
204:), minniebush (
164:
109:mixed hardwoods
105:
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48:of the eastern
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1292:External links
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1223:(3): 365–382.
1207:
1204:on 2010-08-30.
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1015:Russell Field
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901:Brasstown Bald
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674:Hemphill Bald
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482:Hump Mountain
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281:Southern Balds
274:Roan Highlands
253:megaherbivores
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111:with a grassy
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133:Carex debilis
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77:Roan Mountain
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65:New Hampshire
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50:United States
47:
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36:
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27:Mountain type
19:
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1271:
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1250:
1245:
1220:
1216:
1210:
1202:the original
1170:
1154:
1149:
1061:Beauty Spot
944:Parson Bald
874:Spence Field
847:Gregory Bald
827:Cheoah Bald
763:Maddron Bald
704:Unicoi Mtns.
635:Unicoi Mtns.
535:Unicoi Mtns.
383:Andrews Bald
280:
278:
266:Andrews Bald
262:Gregory Bald
249:paleoindians
233:
220:
211:
205:
199:
190:
184:
175:
169:
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153:
147:
137:
131:
125:
119:
117:
106:
103:Grassy balds
98:
69:Gregory Bald
54:
43:
1068:Unaka Mtns.
1040:Elk Garden
785:Siler Bald
627:Hooper Bald
456:Silers Bald
405:Round Bald
237:Pleistocene
162:Heath balds
124:), sedges (
57:alpine zone
1316:Categories
1141:References
1001:Bald Mtns.
970:Rabun Bald
719:Wayah Bald
579:Bald Mtns.
507:Buck Bald
430:Jane Bald
301:Elevation
935:Tennessee
776:Tennessee
572:Big Bald
307:State(s)
298:Mountain
257:carbon-13
1279:Archived
1109:See also
1052:Virginia
563:Virginia
310:Surface
1225:Bibcode
1102:Grassy
1098:Georgia
1081:Grassy
1056:Grassy
1010:Grassy
983:Georgia
964:Grassy
914:Georgia
868:Grassy
841:Grassy
822:Grassy
801:Grassy
757:Grassy
713:Grassy
690:Grassy
669:Grassy
644:Grassy
592:Grassy
567:Grassy
544:Grassy
523:Grassy
502:Grassy
425:Grassy
400:Grassy
377:Grassy
356:Grassy
333:Grassy
268:in the
142:), and
71:in the
44:In the
37:in the
987:Heath
939:Heath
918:Heath
780:Heath
736:Heath
621:Heath
304:Range
241:tundra
1073:Tenn.
1027:Tenn.
956:Tenn.
887:Tenn.
860:Tenn.
661:Tenn.
613:Tenn.
584:Tenn.
494:Tenn.
469:Tenn.
442:Tenn.
417:Tenn.
144:forbs
87:Types
1130:Sods
1077:N.C.
1031:N.C.
1006:N.C.
960:N.C.
891:N.C.
864:N.C.
837:N.C.
818:N.C.
797:N.C.
753:N.C.
732:N.C.
709:N.C.
686:N.C.
665:N.C.
640:N.C.
617:N.C.
588:N.C.
540:N.C.
519:N.C.
498:N.C.
473:N.C.
446:N.C.
421:N.C.
396:N.C.
373:N.C.
352:N.C.
329:N.C.
264:and
1233:doi
158:).
63:in
1318::
1305:—
1231:.
1221:26
1219:.
1196:.
1178:^
1162:^
287:.
1239:.
1235::
1227::
1075:/
1029:/
958:/
889:/
862:/
663:/
615:/
586:/
496:/
471:/
444:/
419:/
225:)
216:)
195:)
180:)
20:)
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