Mesophytic Cove Site Maps?

I guess I should clarify. I can find the overall maps showing the area (looks like most of Appalachain region). What I would like to have is a map that we could click on specific states and see (hopefully) clickable counties that have possible sites with all the available information, studies, and suggested mitigation options linked. It would make navigation of specified threats more manageable and could really help those of us wanting to do right by the planet.

Thank you for posting in the forum. As far as we can determine, this kind of detailed information about the location of cove sites is not available. Part of the difficulty in mapping these sites is that they could occur throughout the specified risk area, the ‘rare’ cove sites are those that have retained certain characteristics such as high species diversity in the canopy and ground vegetation, and a complex vegetative structure. While these sites may not be mapped, the goal is to maintain or restore them. A few sources of information that might be helpful in determining where these sites may occur include NatureServe Explorer, The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, The Nature Conservancy, and The Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. There are likely additional sources available.

There is a good description & list of naturally protected areas by state where remaining stands of Mixed Mesophytic Forests are most likely to occur on Wikipedia "Appalachian Mixed Mesophytic Forests". The primary definition/explanation that I have been given by a Professor of Silviculture is one being that the Appalachian Mesophytic Cove site is a forest or stand type not a geographic location so much (i.e. mixed mesophytic cove sites) – this is sometimes confused by people. The attributes of the AMC cannot withstand aggressive harvesting. If the coves were harvested or farmed through in the past, then they no longer contain a mixed mesophytic stand, thus any that are left are functionally old growth. So an AMC is a subset of old growth. For example, in eastern KY at Robinson Forest, a second growth forest that the University of Kentucky owns, all of the mixed mesophytic cove sites were either logged or farmed through in the past and no AMC per Braun’s definition are left. Robinson Forest has a few quasi-remnants left, but you could not classify them as AMC. However, in Letcher County, KY, The Lilly Cornett Woods is an example of an old growth property that has some AMC left on parts of it. So, in the Appalachians and Cumberland Plateau, etc, if you have old growth that contains northerly slopes or actual coves you might find some AMC, but these would most likely be in some type of protected areas.

Thank you both for your comments. This does help a lot.

I envision that this will be an ongoing process of educating all Stakeholders in general. Maybe a good idea or goal to come out of the Asheville, NC Regional Meeting would be that we create a collaborative process whereas stakeholders could contribute accurate field data/information as discovered and begin building such an educational state/county/stand location style of mapping.

I think that would be fantastic. Thank you.

For most of the Southern Blue Ridge ecoregion there are good models/maps of cove forest courtesy of Steve Simon. I believe those models show mesophytic coves and slopes occupying around 30% of the ecoregion. FSC may have a broader definition that includes alluvial forests and mesic oak forests- not sure about that.