The southern Appalachian spruce–fir forest is an ecoregion of the temperate coniferous forest biome, a type of montane coniferous forest that grows in the highest elevations in the southern Appalachia
Spruce–fir on the slopes of Kuwohi
Orographic fog over the Black Mountains
Mosses dominate the spruce–fir understory near the summit of Mount Sterling in the Great Smoky Mountains.
View across the slopes of Roan Mountain showing the contrast between the dark green spruce–fir canopy (right) and the dull brown deciduous winter canopy (left)
The Appalachian temperate rainforest or Appalachian cloud forest is located in the southern Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States and is among the most biodiverse temperate regions in the
The Appalachian Trail traverses the dense, moss-covered spruce–fir understory near the summit of Old Black in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.
Persistent fog covers the Smokies, sometimes called a cloud forest.
Darker evergreen spruce and fir forests dominate the cooler and wetter mountaintops while lighter deciduous trees are prevalent at lower elevations, a common pattern across the entire rainforest.
The red-cheeked salamander is one of many species of salamander endemic to the Appalachian temperate rainforest.