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


Cumberland Plateau/Ridge & Valley Ecoregion: Overview

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The Cumberland Plateau/Ridge & Valley Ecoregion is located in northwest Georgia.  Geology plays a clear role here: the ecologist Charles Wharton noted that "nowhere in Georgia is the bedrock of the land more visible, exciting, or easier to relate to landform" than in this ecoregion. Different types of sedimentary rock form  vertical layers, with natural communities changing accordingly.  Erosion- resistant sandstone often caps the ridges.  Here, acidic sandy soils support dry forests with often stunted trees, scenic views into the valleys below, and picturesque, towering rock outcroppings.  In contrast, valley floors are underlain by more easily eroded limestone that weather to calcareous soils.  These nutrient-soils support rich, moist forests with extravagant spring wildflower displays, as well as unique calcareous fens, glades, and prairies with many rare species. Aprons of shale, hosting pine-oak woodlands and forests, often drape the slopes that lay between the ridgetops and valleys.

Vegetation influences from the west and north are recognizable here.  Calcareous glades share many endemic (found nowhere else) species with glades of Kentucky and Tennessee, while Coosa/calcareous prairies host Midwestern species.  A Coastal Plain influence is also felt because the Coosa River valley forms a migration corridor from the Alabama Coastal Plain.  These fascinating influences, along with the varied geology of the region, make the Cumberland Plateau/Ridge & Valley ecoregion unique to the state, with an unusually high diversity of natural communities.


Upland Forest and Woodland Communities
Mesic Forests

​Dry Calcareous Forests
​Acidic Oak-Pine Forests
Pine-Oak Woodlands

Montane Longleaf Woodlands

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Open Upland Communities: Prairies, Glades, Barrens, and Outcrops
Calcareous Prairies and Barrens
​Acidic Glades and Barrens
Calcareous Glades and Barrens (Cedar Glades)
Calcareous Cliffs
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Acidic Cliffs and Outcrops
  

Wetland Communities
​Acidic Seepage Wetlands
Bottomlands, Floodplains, and Riparian Zones

Note:  Wet Prairies are covered under Calcareous Prairies and Barrens
 

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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