When you think of a wetland, you may think Florida or the Outer Banks with swamps and beaver ponds. But the wetlands of the Appalachian Mountains that are spread throughout Tennessee, North Carolina, and Virginia are rare communities technically called non-alluvial wetlands. You may not even recognize them as wetlands as you hike through the mountains and the Great Smoky National Park. Not only are they rare, they are usually less than one acre in size. However, they provide a vital habitat for about 1/5 off the rare and endangered plants within the Appalachian Mountains. They are more commonly referred to as a bog, seep, or fen. Instead of forming from the rise and fall of the river, mountain wetlands form from groundwater seepage.
Posted by Chris Ann 
