• This community is restricted to the highest mountain systems of the southern Appalachians in eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and southwestern Virginia.
  • It is found on all topographic positions and is best developed between 1,680-1,990 m elevation (5,500-6,200 feet).
  • This association includes forests of the southern Appalachians, within the range of Abies fraseri, dominated by Picea rubens, with or without Abies fraseri, occurring over deciduous shrubs, herbs, and bryophytes.
  • This community has a characteristic understory of southern Appalachian endemic species and a conspicuous bryophyte layer.
    
    
• The tree canopy may have standing dead stems of Abies fraseri and extensive patches of Abies fraseri seedlings in canopy gaps.
  
  
• Characteristic shrub species include Sorbus americana, Acer spicatum, and Viburnum lantanoides.
  
  
• Herbaceous species include Athyrium filix-femina ssp. asplenioides, Eurybia chlorolepis, Rugelia nudicaulis, Houstonia serpyllifolia, Solidago glomerata, Ptilium crista-castrensis, and Bazzania trilobata.

• These forests have canopies that are strongly dominated by Picea rubens and rather open due to Abies fraseri mortality.
  
  
• The shrub strata are dense and composed of a mix of deciduous shrubs and regenerating Picea rubens and Abies fraseri.
  • Other shrubs include Amelanchier laevis, Betula alleghaniensis, Diervilla sessilifolia, Menziesia pilosa, Prunus pensylvanica, Vaccinium erythrocarpum, Rubus allegheniensis, Sambucus racemosa var. pubens, Sorbus americana, and Viburnum lantanoides.
    
    
• While herbaceous cover is sparse, herbs include Oclemena acuminata, Athyrium filix-femina ssp. asplenioides, Clintonia borealis, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Dryopteris campyloptera, Oxalis montana, Solidago glomerata, and Viola blanda.
  
  
• Standing dead trees are common, as is abundant coarse woody debris on the forest floor.
  
  
• The litter layer is thick, and bryophyte cover can be high,

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

• This community was sampled on the Mount Le Conte quadrangle and other quadrangles that contain land above 5,500 feet elevation.
  • This forest was found on the steep slopes and ridges in the vicinity of Mount Kephart and on steep slopes south of the Mount Le Conte summit. It should be looked for at other locations in the park from approximately 5,500 to just over 6,000 feet elevation.
  • Above this elevation, forests are dominated by Abies fraseri.

• Global Conservation Status Rank: G2 (Last reviewed: 04 30 1998).
  
  
• This community is restricted to the highest mountain systems of the southern Appalachians in eastern Tennessee, western North Carolina, and southwestern Virginia.
  • It 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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