Appalachian Plateau
The Appalachian Plateau is a series of rugged dissected plateaus located on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains. The Appalachian Mountains are a range that run from Nova Scotia in Canada to Alabama in the United States.
The Appalachian Plateau is the northwestern part of the
Geography and physical features
The formation of the plateau began during the Paleozoic Era. Regional uplift during this time caused the area to rise altogether without changing the topography of the land. The eastern side of the plateau appears as a mountain range. This false appearance is due to a very steep slope on the eastern side known as the Allegheny Front. The eastern edge is the highest part of the Appalachian Plateau. In Pennsylvania, the elevation ranges from 1,750 to 3,000 feet and continues to rise toward West Virginia, where the elevation is around 4,800 feet. From West Virginia to Tennessee, the elevation lowers to 3,000 feet and continues slanting downward to 1,000 feet in Alabama. On the western side of the plateau, the elevation is 900 feet in Ohio, increasing to about 2,000 feet in Kentucky. From Kentucky the elevation drops down to 500 feet in northwestern Alabama. The plateau has a slight slant towards the northwest, making it higher on the eastern side.[2]
A large portion of the plateau is a coalfield, which was formed approximately 320 million years ago during the Pennsylvanian Age.[3] The plateau was subjected to glaciation during the Pleistocene ice age. As a result, the topography of this section of the plateau is relatively flat in comparison to the rest of the physiographic province. This portion of the plateau is marked with evidence of a glaciated past including bogs, lakes, and small hills of sand and gravel. The topography of the rest of the plateau was created mainly from stream erosion. The result is a rugged landscape, unlike many other plateaus, that includes many narrow stream valleys surrounded by steep ridges.[4]
The region in Kentucky is known as the Eastern Kentucky Coalfield. It includes 35 counties and covers around 30% of Kentucky's land. Major sections include the Allegheny Plateau, the Cumberland Plateau and the Cumberland Mountains, with the highest peaks located in the Cumberland Mountains.[5]
Physiographic regions
A
Geology
When the Appalachian mountains were formed, the plateau was lifted. Ridges and valleys all die down underneath the plateau. There are multiple valleys throughout the region which consist of exposed areas of limestone and shale.[7]
History
Native Americans
Archaeologists have evidence that Native Americans in the United States lived in the Appalachian region more than 12,000 years ago; however, it is hard to say exactly when the occupants first inhabited the land. Human artifacts were collected near the Meadowcroft Rockshelter in southern Pennsylvania that were at least 16,000 years old. Because the early Native Americans were hunter-gatherers living off the land, they left little material traces of their lives behind them. This is why it is so hard for researchers to determine when they settled in this area. Much like many historic Native American tribes, the early Appalachian inhabitants survived as nomads, following their food on a seasonal basis.[8]
Around this period, North America was still recuperating from its
European settlement
Europeans settled in North America beginning in the seventeenth century. In 1749, Jacob Martin and Steven Sewell were the first Europeans known to settle the Appalachian Plateau, specifically in what is now Pocahontas County, West Virginia. European colonization and competition with the Native Americans resulted in high mortality due to new diseases, as well as more deaths and social disruption due to warfare. After pushing out the Native Americans, the European American settlers developed much of this land for agriculture.[8]
From 1861 to 1865, the Appalachian Plateau suffered from the American Civil War, but in comparison to many other parts of the country, little damage was done. During the war, Union forces gained control over a majority of the plateau, and afterwards that possession was not challenged. Only three noteworthy battles occurred in the plateau region during the war, so not much of the land was destroyed.[8]
After the war, the coal industry boomed. Many counties in the Appalachian Plateau region, such as McDowell County, West Virginia, became dominated by coal mining. Coal mining towns were created, and many immigrants were attracted to the region for work. Although mining was good for the economy, deaths were high in the harsh work of the mines. Among the terrible coal incidents was the Monongah mining disaster of 1907.[8]
Protected lands
Protecting the Appalachian Region from damage of human influence has been important in the modern era. Conservationists have been fighting to preserve the wildlife in the
The first purchase under this act was the Pisgah National Forest. In 1964, the Wilderness Act expanded protections for millions of acres of federal land, such as the Shining Rock and Linville Gorge. The 1975 Eastern Wilderness Act created expanded protected areas in North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. Today, close to 21% of the region is protected. Conservation groups that are dedicated to preserving the Appalachian Plateau region include the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition and the Northern Forest Alliance. Ultimately, experts and researchers say the best way to continue protecting the Appalachian region is to incorporate conservation into public education so that people understand and support the benefits of conserving the lands.[9]
Wildlife
Plants
The Appalachian region is home to a wide variety of plant and animal life due to its vast array of climate and conditions giving the Appalachian Plateau region great biodiversity. To the north are many conifers, such as
Animals
Fauna such as
Fungi are also prominent in the Appalachia region. Abundant
Natural resources
The Appalachian Plateau has a vast array of natural resources throughout its rugged landscape. Within these resources, there are many sedimentary substances. In the valleys of the Appalachian Plateau there is an abundance of limestone. This limestone is still mined for cement and aggregate. Due to excessive mining over time, limestone fields are depleted in many areas but some are still relatively plentiful. Ironstone and coal are also among the plentiful natural resources found. In different regions of the Appalachian Plateau, enough plant debris accumulated to form peat, which upon burial, compaction and heating was made into the coal of the Appalachian coalfields. Due to the abundant coal in the Appalachian Plateau, coal mining has been a staple of the area and has proved to be a very successful mining hub. Iron ore was once an extremely abundant natural resource but due to the thin layer of iron, over time it was mostly depleted. A very well known natural resource of the Appalachian Plateau is its land and soil. The soil is rich and it is ideal for farmland. Within the limestone found throughout the Appalachian Plateau there are many fossilized substances such as old plant and stems, which may help to explain why the plateau also has a rich amount of natural gases and petroleum.[12] [13]
Landmarks and state parks
The Appalachian Plateau has many landmarks and public spaces to camp out, go hiking, and sight see.
See also
References
- ^ "Physiographic divisions of the conterminous U. S. - ScienceBase-Catalog". water.usgs.gov. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ "Soil Information for Environmental Modeling and Ecosystem Management". PA Soil Landscapes. March 4, 1999. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
- ^ "Appalachian Region: Multi-State Priority Area" (PDF). Appendix 5K. October 16, 2009. Retrieved November 10, 2016.[dead link]
- ^ Davies, William. "Physiography". U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
- ^ Jones, Ronald L. Plant Life of Kentucky: An Illustrated Guide to Vascular Flora. University Press of Kentucky.
- ^ "Physiographic divisions of the conterminous U. S." water.usgs.gov. Retrieved September 18, 2023.
- ^ .
- ^ a b c d e Stephenson, Steven (2013). A Natural History of the Central Appalachians. West Virginia University. pp. 212–220.
- ^ Pickering, John, Roland Kays, Albert Meier, Susan Andrew, and Kay Yatskievych. "Appalachian Mountains Chapter for Conservation International Book on Wilderness." Conservation: THE APPALACHIANS
- ^ Stephenson, Steven L. A Natural History of the Central Appalachians. Morgantown: West Virginia UP, 2013. Print. (pg. 30–129)
- ^ a b Stephenson, Steven L. A Natural History of the Central Appalachians. Morgantown: West Virginia UP, 2013. Print. (pg. 130–211)
- ^ Chowns, Timothy. "Appalachian Plateau Geologic Province." New Georgia Encyclopedia. N.p., 6 Oct. 2006. Web. 13 Nov. 2016
- ^ Jackson, Ed, and Mary Stakes. "Geographic Regions of Georgia." Georgia Info. N.p., n.d. Web. November 13, 2016.
- ^ Chowns, Timothy. "Appalachian Plateau Geologic Province." New Georgia Encyclopedia. N.p., October 6, 2006. Web. November 13, 2016.