Land use: The densely populated Nashville Basin consists mostly of small and medium-size farms. Much farmland has been converted to residential use and to small estate-type farms, particularly around Nashville. Hay, pasture, and some grain for beef cattle and dairy cattle are the principal crops. Small acreages of burley tobacco, cotton, and soybeans are grown. Some large rocky sites, commonly called "Glady Land," are in redcedar forest or in redcedar-deciduous brush.
Elevation and topography: Elevation is about 200 m, but isolated hills rise to an elevation of 300 to 400 m. Some of the more deeply cut stream channels are as low as 200 m above sea level. Most of the outer part of the Basin is deeply dissected and consists of steep slopes between narrow rolling ridgetops and narrow valleys. The inner part of the Basin is predominantly undulating and rolling. In many places the land surface is deeply pitted by limestone sinks, and outcrops of limestone rock are almost everywhere.
Climate: Average annual precipitation-About 1,275 mm. Maximum precipitation is in midwinter and early in spring, and the minimum is in autumn. Average annual temperature-14 to 16 C. The temperature varies little throughout the Basin. Average freeze-free period-192 days.
Water: The moderately high precipitation generally provides adequate moisture for crops and pasture, but in some years, short periods of drought in summer reduce pasture and crop yields. Permanent streams and lakes are an important source of water. The Cumberland River has dams for flood control, power production, navigation, and recreation. Ground water from wells and springs is an important source of water for domestic use and for livestock. Farm ponds are used to supplement the water supply, especially in places where surface water is scarce because of limestone sinks.
Soils: Udalfs are the most extensive soils in the Basin but Udults occupy a large acreage. These soils have a thermic temperature regime, an udic moisture regime, and a clayey subsoil. Well drained, fine textured Hapludalfs are on hillsides in the outer or phosphatic part of the Basin (Mimosa and Hampshire series) and on low hills in the inner part (Tablott series). Well drained Paleudalfs (Lomond and Cumberland series) occupy a sizable acreage in the inner part of the Basin where there are deposits of alluvium or of alluvium and loess. Dark brown loamy, cherty Hapludults (Dellrose series) are on steep, deeply dissected hills that extend around the rim of the Basin. A small acreage of Rendolls (Gladeville series) in the inner Basin, where the rock is at or near the surface, is commonly called "Glady Land." Hapludolls (Arrington, Lynnville and Egam series) and Haplaquolls (Roellen and Godwin series) are on the inextensive bottom lands. Outcrops of limestone are common.
Potential natural vegetation: This area supports oak-hickory stands.
Yellow-poplar grows on the northern slopes, and eastern redcedar and
cedar-hardwood stands grow on the limestone glades and rocky, clayey sites.
Understory vegetation includes many grasses, forbs, vines, and shrubs. Broomsedge
blue- stem is the dominant grass species.
(From "Land Resource Regions and Major Land Resource Areas of the United
States". United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service
Handbook 296. Dec. 1981. page 89.)