Cove forests are unique ecosystems found exclusively in North America, in the southern Appalachian Mountains of the United States. They are a special type of forest known as mixed deciduous, meaning that forest's trees lose their leaves in fall. Cove forests are restricted to mountain "coves," which are bowl-shaped valleys with very rich, fertile, damp soil. Many cove forests have streams wandering through part of the forest. The cove forests of the South exhibit the greatest plant and tree diversity of any forests in the United States.
The cove forests of South Carolina are restricted to the northwest portion of the state, extending from the north of Westminster to north of Greenville, Jones Gap State Park, Table Rock State Park, Oconee State Park, and Caesars Head State Park all contain cove forest communities. For more information, view the credits or find out how to plan a trip to a cove forest.
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PLEASE NOTE:
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The understory typically includes smaller individuals of canopy species such as beach and yellow buckeye. Also present are genetically smaller trees that never reach the canopy, such as flowering...
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Fruits eaten by animals are not necessarily edible for humans. Since fruits of some plants are poisonous (for humans), you should never eat fruits of wild plants unless you are absolutely certain they...
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The defense compounds of plants generally provide protection from many, but not all, herbivores. Over time, one or more herbivores may
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Seeds of this plant were apparently introduced from Asia into Tennessee in the early 1900s via packing material. The plant escaped and has now spread into forests throughout the eastern United States...
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The fruits produced by oaks (acorns) are an extremely important food source for mammals, such as squirrels, deer and black bear. Because acorns are rich in carbohydrates and proteins, populations of...
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Shrubs are woody plants that have several stems and are generally shorter than trees. In ravines and along creeks, shrubs such as rosebay rhododendron from dense thickets. In other areas, shrubs may...
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Leaves often show signs of some damage by herbivores, but only rarely are most or all of the leaves on a given plant eaten. As a result, green leafy plant tissues is abundant in cove forests during...
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Flowering dogwood is an ecologically important understory tree in eastern forests. Today, large numbers of flowering dogwoods are dying due to an introduced parasitic fungus that causes dogwood...
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In late summer and fall, squirrels collect and bury large numbers of newly ripened acorns. Many of these acorns are later recovered and eaten. Others, however, go undiscovered and can germinate and...
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Herbaceous plants, or herbs for short, are green plants that have soft rather than woody stems. Most wildflowers and grasses are herbs, as are ferns and mosses.
