• This community is restricted to the highest mountain systems of the southern Appalachians in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina.
  • These forests are typically found on moderately steep to steep, convex slopes at elevations between 1,550 and 1,830 m (5,100-6,000 feet).
    
    
• This association includes forests of the southern Appalachians, within the range of Abies fraseri, dominated by Picea rubens with or without Abies fraseri.
  
  
• The shrub stratum is dominated by evergreen species, typically Rhododendron catawbiense and Rhododendron maximum.
  
  
• Herb coverage is characteristically low, but on moist north-facing sites mosses, ferns, and forbs may be dense beneath the shrub stratum.

• This community has a closed canopy dominated by large Picea rubens.
  • Some occurrences may have standing dead Abies fraseri and a more open canopy due to Abies mortality or damage by ice storms.
    
    
• The subcanopy may have scattered stems of Betula alleghaniensis or Prunus pensylvanica, but these species form a minor part of the canopy coverage (less than 25%).
  
  
• The shrub stratum is dense (70-100% coverage) and dominated by Rhododendron catawbiense.
  • In some occurrences on the flanks of Mount Le Conte, Leucothoe fontanesiana can dominate the short-shrub stratum.
  • Other species that may be present as a minor part of the shrub stratum include Abies fraseri, Ilex montana, Kalmia latifolia, Picea rubens, Rhododendron maximum, Rubus canadensis, Sorbus americana, Vaccinium corymbosum, Vaccinium erythrocarpum, and Viburnum lantanoides.
    
    
• The herbaceous stratum is sparse, typically with less than 10% coverage.
  • Herbs include Oclemena acuminata, Athyrium filix-femina ssp. asplenioides, Dryopteris campyloptera, Dryopteris intermedia, Monotropa uniflora, and Oxalis montana.
    
    
• The ground cover is dominated by thick and spongy litter and duff layers and by downed woody debris.

• This community is restricted to the highest mountain systems of the southern Appalachians in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina.

• This community was sampled on the Mount Le Conte quadrangle on steep, exposed, south-facing slopes in an area north of Mount Kephart known as "The Boulevard," on steep slopes above Rocky Spur, and on steep slopes on the southern flanks of Mount Le Conte.
  
  
• It does not occur on the Cades Cove quadrangle but is likely in other high elevation areas (above 5,500 feet elevation) of the park.
  
  It is an uncommon component of the spruce-fir complex.

• Global Conservation Status Rank: G1 (Last reviewed: 02 23 1999).
  
  
• This community has a naturally restricted distribution and has been subject to major acreage reduction during the early part of the 20th century and rapid condition decline in the past 30 years.
  • Modern threats include atmospheric pollution deposition and damage by Adelges piceae, the exotic Balsam Woolly Adelgid.
  • Well-developed, undisturbed examples of this community are extremely rare.

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