Vegetation of Southwest Virginia

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	Southwest Virginia lies within two major ecoregions of the United States:The Appalachian Mixed Mesophytic Forest to the west, and the Appalachian/Blue Ridge Forest to the east.
	Detail of boundary in Southwest Virginia between Appalachian Mixed Mesophytic Forest (pink) and Appalachian Blue Ridge Forest (olive) Ecogregions. The Mixed Mesophytic Forest if primarily confined to Buchanan, Dickenson, and Wise Counties, with some overlap into adjacent Scott, Russell, and Tazewell Counties.

From: Bailey Central Appalachian Broadleaf Forest--Coniferous Forest--Meadow Province

The valleys of the southern Appalachian Mountains support a mixed oak-pine forest. Above this ... lies the Appalachian oak forest, dominated by a dozen species each in the white oak and black oak groups. Chestnut was once abundant, but a blight has eliminated it as a canopy tree. [Higher up]... lies the northeastern hardwood forest, composed of birch, beech, maple, elm, red oak, and basswood, with an admixture of hemlock and white pine. Spruce-fir forest and meadows are found on the highest peaks of the Allegheny and Great Smoky Mountains. Mixed mesophytic forest extends into narrow valleys (coves) of the southern Appalachians, where oak vegetation predominates.

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Ecoregions maps, Descriptions, Images