By Jordan A. Bowman
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
October 2, 2019
The Roan Highlands offer some of the most breathtaking views along the Appalachian Trail, and they are also home to the beautiful red spruce. Red spruce are uncommon this far south, though they once covered vast expanses of the southern Appalachian Mountain landscape.
“Heavy logging practices in the early 20th century changed the forest composition,” said Matt Drury, Resource Management Coordinator for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC). “Many of these spruce forests regenerated into hardwood forests, leading to a steep decline in the species associated with spruce-fir communities.”
Today, a relatively small swath of red spruce are able to survive in the Roan Highlands due to the high altitude, climate and conservation efforts of recent years. These forests now provide a critical habitat for a wide variety of species. The federally endangered Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel lives here, feeding on truffles that grow along red spruce roots. So does the Red Crossbill, which uses its specialized bill to pry open spruce cones and extract the seeds inside.