ABSTRACT
Mountain fens are unique and uncommon wetlands located in the Appalachian and Interior Highlands of the southern United States. The Appalachian Highlands encompass the Appalachian Plateau, Ridge and Valley, and Blue Ridge provinces. Northern sub-type fens are characterized by northern disjunct species, while southern sub-type fens are characterized by coastal plain disjunct species. Southern mountain fens were not included in Kuchler’s 1964 classification. Many mountain fens located in headwater or floodplain areas are associated with bottomland hardwood or mixed hardwood/conifer forests. Many fens represent gaps in forest bottomlands where groundwater flow is restricted, where groundwater input has increased, or where beavers have been active. Mountain fens can be influenced by both alluvial and colluvial deposits. Small, isolated fens in the southern Appalachians are important habitats for rare endemic and disjunct populations of plants.
