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Appalachian Plateau
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Geography
- http://georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/geography/article/geographic-regions-of-georgia
Physiography
- http://www.radford.edu/jtso/GeologyofVirginia/AppPlateaus/APPhysio-1.html
Geology
- http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/science-medicine/appalachian-plateau-geologic-province
- http://geology.blogs.wm.edu/appalachian-plateau/
- http://www.sherpaguides.com/virginia/mountains/app_plateau/
History
Natural Resources
- http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/science-medicine/appalachian-plateau-geologic-province
Landmarks
- http://traveltips.usatoday.com/state-parks-appalachian-plateau-60683.html
Open Public Spaces
- http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/science-medicine/appalachian-plateau-geologic-province
Protected Lands
- http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/science-medicine/appalachian-plateau-geologic-province
Wildlife
- http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00267-014-0429-1
- http://www.sherpaguides.com/virginia/mountains/app_plateau/
Other Articles
- http://www.sherpaguides.com/virginia/mountains/app_plateau/
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Bibliography
“APPALACHIA AND THE OZARKS.” An Outline of American Geography, usa.usembassy.de/etexts/outgeogr/geog07.htm.
Appendix 5K: Ne Multi-State Area: Appalachian Region. “Appalachian Region Multi-State Priority Area.” Appalachian Region Multi-State Priority Area.
"Appalachian Plateau." The Geology of Virginia , WordPress, 2016, geology.blogs.wm.edu/appalachian-plateau/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2016.
Source Type: Article
Credibility: published by the Commonwealth of Virginia
Usefulness: geologic information on the Appalachian Plateau
Chowns, Timothy. "Appalachian Plateau Geologic Province." New Georgia Encyclopedia, University of West Georgia , 6 Oct. 2006, www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/science-medicine/appalachian-plateau-geologic-province. Accessed 27 Oct. 2016.
Source Type: Encyclopedia
Credibility: sources used to write the article are cited
Usefulness: explains location of plateau and also rock types
Davies, William E. “Physiography.” quarriesandbeyond.org/articles_and_books/min_res_appalachian_region/physiography.html.
Gangloff, Michael M., Perkins, Peter W. Blum, and Craig Walker. "Effects of Coal Mining, Forestry, and Road Construction on Southern Appalachian Stream Invertebrates and Habitats." , Springer Science and Business Media, 2014, http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00267-014-0429-1. Accessed 27 Oct. 2016.
Source Type: Academic Journal
Credibility: Environmental Management is a book of research articles written about conservation of the environment.
Usefulness: Can be used in the section about wildlife on the Appalachian Plateau
Gutenberg, Project. “Physiographic Regions of the United States.” Project Gutenberg Self-Publishing, www.gutenberg.us/articles/physiographic_regions_of_the_united_states.
Jackson, Ed. "Geographic Regions of Georgia." GeorgiaInfo, University of Georgia , 2004, georgiainfo.galileo.usg.edu/topics/geography/article/geographic-regions-of-georgia. Accessed 27 Oct. 2016.
Source Type: Encyclopedia
Credibility: written by a combination of Universities in Georgia
Usefulness: explains what a plateau is
Mount, Van S. "Structural style of the Appalachian Plateau fold belt, north-central Pennsylvania." Journal of Structural Geology, 2014.
Source Type: Academic Journal
Credibility: Article from scholarly journal that publishes investigations about structural geology
Usefulness: Can be used as research on the physiography of the Appalachian Plateau
"Physiography: Regional Setting." Appalachian Plateaus Physiography, Radford Univeristy, www.radford.edu/jtso/GeologyofVirginia/AppPlateaus/APPhysio-1.html. Accessed 27 Oct. 2016.
Source Type: article
Credibility: written by Radford University Department of Geology
Usefulness: explains boundaries of the Appalachian Plateau
Society, National Geographic. “Plateau.” National Geographic Society, National Geographic Society, 9 Oct. 2012, nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/plateau/.
“Soil Information for Environmental Modeling and Ecosystem Management.”Soil Information for Environmental Modeling and Ecosystem Management, www.soilinfo.psu.edu/index.cgi?soil_land&us_soil_survey&map&pa¢re&gen_info&phy%2bsiography.html.
Stephenson, Steven L. A Natural History of the Central Appalachians. Morgantown, West Virginia University Press, 2013.
Source Type: Book
Credibility: Published by West Virginia University, Written by Steven L Stephenson a Research Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences
Usefulness: history of the land and people on the Appalachian Plateau
Stoltman, James B. The Appalachian Plateau and Ridge and Valley Provinces of Northwest Georgia. Tuscaloosa, The University of Alabama Press, 2015, pp. 114-27.
Source Type: Chapter in a book
Credibility: Written by a man who was a professor, researcher, colleague, and archaeologist at the University of Wisconsin
Usefulness: More narrowed down information about our topic, rather than using an entire book.
Wagner, Nancy. "State Parks in the Appalachian Plateau." USAToday traveltips.usatoday.com/state-parks-appalachian-plateau-60683.html. Accessed 27 Oct. 2016.
Source Type: Article
Credibility: Published by USA Today without bias
Usefulness: Write in landmarks section of article
Winegar, Dean, and Garvey Winegar. "Highroad Guide to the Virginia Mountains." Sherpa Guides Apr. 2001, www.sherpaguides.com/virginia/mountains/app_plateau/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2016.
Source Type: Article
Credibility: Online guidebook
Usefulness: Has some information about geology and wildlife
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DRAFT OF ARTICLE
Geography
The Appalachian Plateau is a series of plateaus that is found on the western side of the Appalachian Highlands. The Appalachian Highlands is a mountain range that runs down the entire east coast of the United States. 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, From the eastern side of the plateau it appears to be be a mountain range. This appearance is actually from 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 altitude ranges from 1,750 to 3,000 feet and continues to rise towards West Virginia, where the altitude is around 4,800 feet. From West Virginia to Tennessee the altitude goes down to 3,000 feet and continues slanting downward to an altitude of 1,000 feet in Alabama. On the western side of the plateau the altitude is 900 feet in Ohio, increasing to about 2,000 feet in Kentucky. From Kentucky the altitude drops down to 500 feet in northwestern Alabama. The plateau has a slight slant towards the northwest making it higher in altitude on the eastern side. A large portion of the plateau is a coalfield that was formed approximately 320 million years ago during the Pennsylvanian Age. The portion of the plateau that is not a coalfield was, in the past, a glacier. As a result, the topography of this section of the plateau is relatively flat in comparison to the rest of the 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, which is unlike many other plateaus. There are many narrow stream valleys that are surrounded by steep ridges. (Sounds good, just make sure there is no trace of plagerism or even words that may sound too much alike)
Physiography
A physiographic region is a large portion of land that is grouped together by several factors. Each region has similar geology, topography, and groups of plants and animals. There are eight physiographic regions in the United States. Each region is divided into provinces, there are 25 provinces in the United States. Each region is then divided into sections, creating 85 different physiographic sections in the United States. The Appalachian Plateau is a province of the physiographic region Appalachian Highlands. The Appalachian Plateau province is then broken down into seven physiographic sections: Mohawk section, Catskill section, Southern New York section, Allegheny Mountain section, Kanawha section, Cumberland Plateau section, and Cumberland Mountain section. Each section is a member or the Appalachian Plateau province due to its similarities in geologic makeup, topography, and wildlife. In turn, the Appalachian Plateau is a member of the Appalachian Highlands region due to the same thing.(saying "Same thing" doesn't sound professional, vary sentence structure more)
Geology
The rock underlying the Appalachian Plateau consists of base built by Precambrian rock, and lying overtop of that are sediments from the Paleozoic era. These two layers make up the entire basement of the plateau, and their combined depth ranges from 6,000 to 20,000 feet below sea level. On top of the basement is a thick layer, approximately 20,000 feet below sea level, of a mixture of Cambrian, Ordovician, and Middle Silurian rock. This rock consists of shale, siltstone, and sandstone. Above this layer is the Upper Silurian evaporite basin, or basin of chemically formed sedimentary rocks, and the overlying layer is the Plateau fold belt. (source to structural style of appalachian plateau fold belt)
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, which happen to be the oldest exposed rocks in the country. (why is this its own paragraph?)
History
Archaeologists have evidence that Native Americans lived in the Appalachian region over twelve thousand years ago, however, it is hard to say exactly when the occupants first inhabited the land. In fact, human artifacts were collected by the Meadowcroft Rockshelter in southern Pennsylvania that were at least sixteen thousand years old. Considering the Native Americans were hunter-gatherers living off the land, they left little trace of human life behind them, which is why it is so hard to identify approximately when they arrived. Much like all Native Americans, the Appalachian inhabitants survived as nomads, following their food.
Around this period in time, North America was still recuperating from their last glacial period and the climate was much different than it is now. The climate more closely resembled a tundra, with lower temperatures, conifer trees and large mammals such as mammoths and saber-toothed tigers. Eventually the climate began to warm up again, the large mammals started to disappear, and the vegetation seen more often today began to flourish. These climatic changes made life more sustainable for the Native Americans. They continued to invent new weapons and made advancements in agriculture until the Europeans arrived in North America.
Europeans settled in North America in the seventeenth century, and in 1749, Jacob Martin and Steven Sewell first settled the Appalachian Plateau, specifically in what is now Pocahontas County in West Virginia. European settlement brought about many bloody battles, diseases, and death. Much of this land became farmland for the European settlers.
From 1861 to 1865, the Appalachian Plateau suffered from the 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.
After the war, the coal industry boomed. Many counties in the Appalachian Plateau region were dominated by coal mining like McDowell County in West Virginia. Coal mining towns were created, and many immigrants moved in to work. Although good for the economy, many horrible disasters occurred, like the Monongah mining disaster of 1907. (source to pages 212-220 in A Natural History book) (well-written and very comprehensive, well organized, good use of hyperlinks)
Protected Lands:
Protecting the Appalachian Region from damage of human influence has been a big factor over the years. Conservationists have been fighting to preserve the wildlife in the Appalachia region. The region has proved that with good care the flora and fauna can be very resilient. Though back in 1890, the destruction of the Appalachian regions forest was at full-scale with the inventions of the railroad, saw-mills, and clear-cutting of trees occurring. This cause major flooding and wildfires to the region and was destroying keystone species across the region. Many began to realize that the destruction of the forest could be harmful and beginning with Theodore Roosevelts Weeks Act conservation began to increase among the reason and the creation of the Pisgah National forest was created. Since then, the Wilderness Act of 1964 was initiated and areas such as the Shining Rock and Linville Gorge became protected and recognized as Wild and Scenic areas. The 1975 Eastern Wilderness act created protected areas in North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. Today, close to 21% of the region is protected. Conservation groups are still in place dedicating to preserving the Appalachian plateau region such as the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition and the Northern Forest Alliance. Ultimately experts and researchers say the best way to continue the conservation of the Appalachian region is to incorporate it into public education and support and have people understand the benefits of conserving the lands.
Wildlife:
The Appalachian region is home to a wide variety of plant and animal life due to its vast array of climate and conditions since its covers such a vast area giving the Appalachian plateau region great biodiversity. To the north you’ll see many conifers, such as red spruce, and balsam fir which can be seen growing at the highest elevations of the Appalachian region. Also up north at lower elevations you can find Northern Hardwoods such as, sugar maple and white oak. In southern Appalachia, growth of Sycamore, Walnut, and Hickory trees are common. It is estimated that there is around 2,000 species of flora within the Appalachia region. Flowers vary due to elevation and climate of the area of Appalachia region so like Trees you’ll find different types of in the northern and southern regions of the Appalachia. Flowers such as Rhododendron, Azalea, and mountain laurel can be found in southern regions while up north trees will bear serviceberry, redbud, sourwood and many other. (fix grammar problems, I would re word first sentence)
Regarding animal life, Elk, Bison, and wolves used to be native to the Appalachian region but have subsequently vanished. Elk still has presence in the northern region along with moose and caribou. Throughout all of the Appalachian Plateau region there is an abundance of fox, raccoon, wild boar, black bears, white-tailed deer, and beavers. Researchers also found there to be over 200 species and game and song birds including wild turkey, Heron, Geese, Hawks, Ducks and many more. (re word last sentence, explain more with actual evidence)
Fungus is also prominent in the Appalachia region. Millions of species of mushroom and lichen can be found from Chantrele, Oytster Mushroom, and Rock Trite.
Natural Resources
The Appalachian Plateau has a vast array of natural resources throughout its arduous landscape. Throughout these resources, there are many sedimentary substances. In the valleys of the Appalachian Plateau there is a very abundant source of Limestone. This Limestone is still mined for cement and aggregate. Due to excessive mining over time, limestone fields are very depleted but 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 amount of coal in the Appalachian Plateau, coal mining has been a staple of the area and has proved to be a very plentiful/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.
Open Public Spaces/Landmarks
The Appalachian Plateau has many landmarks and public spaces to camp out, go hiking, and sight see. One of the largest attractions to the Appalachian Plateau is the (Appalachian Trail). The Appalachian Trail is the longest marked footpath in the country. At approximately 2,178 miles, it is a tourist attraction like no other. People walk the trail and camp out for days, weeks, or even months. The trail crosses six national parks, numerous local state parks and forests, six national forests, and 14 states. The Cloudland Canyon State Park is another very worth while landmark in the Appalachian Plateau. At 3,485 acres, the Cloudland Canyon State Park is one of the largest and most scenic parks throughout the Appalachian Plateau. Its rugged geology offers a wide range of activities for tourists and campers to take part in. Beautiful views of the canyon can be seen anywhere from the midst of the trail, to picnic tables at resting areas. A very well known landmark in the Appalachian Plateau would be The Great Smokey Mountains. The Smokey Mountains have an estimated 187,000 acres and consist of old growth forests. The name “Smokey” comes from the natural fog that sometimes hangs over the mountain range and looks like a cloud of smoke from a distance. The Hocking Hills are deeply dissected in the Appalachian Plateau area. The hills themselves feature cliffs, gorges, waterfalls and even rock shelters. It is a very historic landmark and many tourists along with campers and hikers come to see the beauty and serenity of the hills. The hills are known to be thick, hard and weather resistant, which in turn builds deep gorges and very high cliffs. (Good ending, explains and evalutes interesiting facts)
Team Peer Reviewers: Can you help review our sections and make sure they follow the "well-written" featured article criteria? Just making sure they sound professional.