South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest
The South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest is a forest system found along the Allegheny and Cumberland plateaus in unglaciated southwestern Pennsylvania, much of West Virginia, western Virginia, southeastern Ohio, and extends into Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama, with disjunct occurrences in glaciated northwestern Pennsylvania and southwestern New York where it is now classified as the North-Central Interior Beech-Maple Forest as a result of the Wisconsin glaciation.
Overview
Corresponds to Lucy Braun's "Mixed Mesophytic Forest", the mesophytic forest is known for its exceptionally high tree diversity and complex structure. It represents one of the most species-rich temperate broadleaf forest communities in the world, characterized by a balanced mixture of moisture-loving species rather than dominance of one genus. This forest type typically occurs in humid and sheltered coves, hollows, lower slopes, areas near small streams, and river valleys. The Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest, Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland, and Southern Appalachian Oak Forest typically occurs on the higher and drier slopes above this habitat.
Flora
The herb layer is very rich and often has abundant spring ephemerals. In undisturbed areas, the canopy trees can grow very large. Typical trees include sugar maple, beech, tuliptree, basswood, northern red oak, American sycamore, cucumber-tree, bitternut hickory, pawpaw and black walnut. White oak and sprouts of American chestnut are common on slightly drier benches. Other trees typically include eastern hemlock, white ash, sweetgum, black tupelo, sweet birch, river birch, and yellow buckeye.
Fauna
The rich diversity and microclimatic stability of this forest support an equally diverse faunal community, ranging from songbirds in the canopy to amphibians on moist soils. Mammals typically include white-tailed deer, gray squirrel, fox squirrel, eastern chipmunk, wild turkey, southern flying squirrel, raccoon, Virginia opossum, gray fox, eastern cottontail, groundhog, and bobcat. Birds typically include wood thrush, robin, blue jay, scarlet tanager, red-eyed vireo, ovenbird, Acadian flycatcher, pileated woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker, northern flicker, black-throated blue warbler, cerulean warbler, Kentucky warbler, and worm-eating warbler. Barred owls and eastern screech owls are typically found in mesic ravines and riparian areas. Reptiles include the garter snake and the gray ratsnake. The moist and rich leaf litter, coarse woody debris, and abundant ephemerals support salamanders, frogs, pollinators, and diverse invertebrate life.