Abstract
The present distribution of high elevation spruce-fir forests in the southern Appalachian Mountains is the result of a retreat of red spruce (Picea rubens. Sarg.), Fraser fir (Abies fraseri Poir.), and associated species during the last post-glacial era to the coolest and most moist locations in this mountain range (White and Cogbill, 1992). The original range of red spruce in this region is estimated to have been from 450 km2 to 2000 km2. That range became more restricted, to approximately 300 km2, and discontinuous within the region as the climate warmed to its present level. Thus, this forest type represents what is perhaps the most sensitive forest system in the eastern United States to climate change, particularly climate warming.
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McLaughlin, S.B., Joslin, J.D., Robarge, W., Stone, A., Wirnmer, R., Wullschleger, S.D. (1998). The Impacts of Acidic Deposition and Global Change on High Elevation Southern Appalachian Spruce-Fir Forests. In: Mickler, R.A., Fox, S. (eds) The Productivity and Sustainability of Southern Forest Ecosystems in a Changing Environment. Ecological Studies, vol 128. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2178-4_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2178-4_14
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