Natural Communities of North Georgia
  • Home
  • Piedmont
    • Piedmont Overview
    • Mesic (Moist) Forests
    • Oak-Pine-Hickory Forests
    • Bottomland/Floodplain Forest
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • Montane Longleaf
    • Prairies and Savannas (Upland)
    • Wet Meadows and Marshes
    • Granite Outcrops
    • Glades, Barrens, and Woodlands
    • Ultramafic Barrens and Woodlands
    • Cliffs and Bluffs
    • Flatwoods (Upland Depression Swamps)
  • Blue Ridge
    • Blue Ridge Overview
    • Northern Hardwoods
    • Montane Oak Forests
    • Fertile Cove Forests
    • Acidic Cove Forests
    • Oak Forests
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • High Elevation Outcrops
    • Mafic Dome Rock Outcrops
    • Rock Outcrops, Cliffs and Bluffs
    • Ultramafic Barrens and Woodlands
    • Mountain Bogs
    • Seepage Wetlands
    • Spray Cliffs
    • Montane Bottomlands and Flooplains
  • Cumberland Ridge & Valley
    • Cumberland Ridge & Valley Overview
    • Mesic Forests
    • Dry Calcareous Forests
    • Acidic Oak-Pine Forests
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • Montane Longleaf
    • Calcareous (Cedar) Glades
    • Calcareous Cliffs
    • Calcareous Prairies and Barrens
    • Acidic Glades and Barrens
    • Acidic Cliffs and Outcrops
    • Flatwoods
    • Acidic Seepage Wetlands
    • Bottomlands and Flooplains
  • Impact of Rock Type on Plant Composition
  • Plant Adaptations to Deciduous Forests



The Blue Ridge Ecoregion of Georgia: Overview

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The Blue Ridge ecoregion is Georgia's highest, coolest ecoregion, with a rugged topography of metamorphic rock.    Here on high ridges many species reach their southernmost range, including a number that are endemic to (found only in) the Southern and Central Appalachians, and some that remain from the last glaciation.  Many plant species that were common at lower elevations during the last ice age survive as remnant populations only at high elevations now.  Species of salamanders, millipedes, trilliums, and snails also exist in great variety in the southern Appalachians.  Fortunately, a large percentage of this ecoregion in Georgia is protected in the Chattahoochee National Forest, as well as in Unicoi, Vogel, Amicalola, and Fort Mountain State parks.  Covering less than 5% of the state, the Georgia Blue Ridge makes an out-sized contribution to scenic beauty and biodiversity.
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​Geology: The Blue Ridge is made of a mosaic of metamorphic rocks.  Mafic rocks, like amphibolite and, more rarely, marble,  weather to form more alkaline soils.  Quartzite weathers to acidic, sandy, sterile soils.   The most common rocks, schist and gneiss create fairly acidic soils, but with significantly more nutrients than those from quartzite.  The different rock types are described here.

Topography: European settlers advancing west from the populated seaboard of the mid-Atlantic colonies saw the easternmost escarpment of the Appalachians as a hazy blue ridge looming over the more gently rolling Piedmont. This ecoregion has the sharpest relief in Georgia There are 37 peaks above 4,000 feet in elevation; four are over 4,500 feet. Georgia's highest peak, Brasstown Bald, is 4,783 feet high. 

The variation in topography and geology leads to a diverse mix of natural communities that are often packed tightly together on the mountain slopes: high rocky summits with views of endless ridges; waterfalls tumbling to rocky pools; lush, fertile coves; and mountain bogs with carpets of sphagnum moss and carnivorous pitcher blogs.  



Forest and Woodland Communities
Northern Hardwoods and Boulderfield Forests 
Montane Oak Forests
​Mesic (Cove) Forests
​Low- to Mid-Elevation Oak Forests
Pine-Oak Woodlands
 
Serpentine (Ultramafic)  Barrens and Woodlands

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Upland Open Communities: Glades, Barrens and Rock Outcrops
High Elevation Rock Outcrops (Rocky Summits)
​Low- to Mid-Elevation Acidic Cliffs and Outcrops
Low to Mid Elevation Mafic Domes, Glades, and Barrens ​


Wetlands Communities
Mountain Bogs
Seepage Wetlands
​Spray Cliffs
Bottomlands and Floodplains

 

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​Contents of this site are based on the book The Natural Communities of Georgia, which can be purchased from the University of Georgia Press, Amazon, and other vendors.
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This site is a work in progress: comments and suggestions are welcome.  Email: ​naturalcommsga@gmail.com

  • Home
  • Piedmont
    • Piedmont Overview
    • Mesic (Moist) Forests
    • Oak-Pine-Hickory Forests
    • Bottomland/Floodplain Forest
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • Montane Longleaf
    • Prairies and Savannas (Upland)
    • Wet Meadows and Marshes
    • Granite Outcrops
    • Glades, Barrens, and Woodlands
    • Ultramafic Barrens and Woodlands
    • Cliffs and Bluffs
    • Flatwoods (Upland Depression Swamps)
  • Blue Ridge
    • Blue Ridge Overview
    • Northern Hardwoods
    • Montane Oak Forests
    • Fertile Cove Forests
    • Acidic Cove Forests
    • Oak Forests
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • High Elevation Outcrops
    • Mafic Dome Rock Outcrops
    • Rock Outcrops, Cliffs and Bluffs
    • Ultramafic Barrens and Woodlands
    • Mountain Bogs
    • Seepage Wetlands
    • Spray Cliffs
    • Montane Bottomlands and Flooplains
  • Cumberland Ridge & Valley
    • Cumberland Ridge & Valley Overview
    • Mesic Forests
    • Dry Calcareous Forests
    • Acidic Oak-Pine Forests
    • Pine-Oak Woodlands
    • Montane Longleaf
    • Calcareous (Cedar) Glades
    • Calcareous Cliffs
    • Calcareous Prairies and Barrens
    • Acidic Glades and Barrens
    • Acidic Cliffs and Outcrops
    • Flatwoods
    • Acidic Seepage Wetlands
    • Bottomlands and Flooplains
  • Impact of Rock Type on Plant Composition
  • Plant Adaptations to Deciduous Forests