Land use: Two-thirds or more of the area is forested. About a fifth of the area consists of national parks and forests. The acreage of parkland and forests is much higher in Georgia and in Tennessee. Parts of the area are popular resort and recreation sites. About one-tenth of the area is cropland, mainly on small farms in valleys and coves, and one-sixth is pasture. Corn and hay are the chief crops, but small grains, potatoes, and many kinds of fruits and vegetables are also grown. Tobacco is an important crop in some places. Most of the farms are part-time enterprises, and the occupants earn a large part of their livelihood elsewhere.

Elevation and topography: Elevation ranges from 300 m in the lower valleys and on foot slopes to more than 2,000 m in the mountains along the Tennessee - North Carolina boundary, decreasing gradually both north and south from this high point. The rugged mountains have steep slopes, sharp crests and narrow valleys. Stream dissection is deep and intricate. Major streams and their tributaries flow through gorges and gaps of the mountains. Broad valleys and basins with rolling hills are extensive throughout the area. Local relief is 100 to more than 1,000 m.

Climate: Average annual precipitation-Mainly 1,025 to 1,275 mm but as much as 2,025 mm on the highest peaks in the south. Precipitation is somewhat unevenly distributed. The maximum is in midsummer and in midwinter and the minimum in autumn. Precipitation is 900 to 1,025 mm in the Asheville basin and in similar protected areas. Average annual temperature-10 to 16 C. Average freeze-free period-150 to 220 days, decreasing with increasing elevation and from south to north. It is sharply reduced on elevated peaks.

Water: Springs and shallow wells provide domestic water, but the ground water yield from wells is generally small. Water for livestock comes largely from springs and perennial streams, though some farm ponds have been built recently. In the southern two-thirds of the area, the major rivers have many dams that are used for flood control, electric power production, and recreation.

Soils: The dominant soils are Ochrepts and Udults. They are moderately deep and deep and medium textured. These soils have a mesic temperature regime, an udic moisture regime, and mixed mineralogy. Dystrochrepts (Ashe, Ditney, Sylico, Brookshire, Ranger, and Ramsey series) and Hapludults (Edneyville and Saluda series) are the principal soils on steep slopes of lower mountains. Hapludults (Fannin, Evard, and Porters series) are on the rolling foothills. Hapludults (Tusquittee series) and Haplumbrepts (Spivey series) formed from colluvium on foot slopes and coves. Boulders and outcrops of bedrock are conspicuous but inextensive on mountain slopes. Haplumbrepts (Burton series) are dominant at higher elevations. In the broad valleys, extensive Hapludults (Brevard, Fannin, Hayesville, Clifton, and Saluda series) are associated with Rhodudults (Rabun and Dyke series) over mafic rocks on rolling hills. Dystrochrepts (Comus and Codorus series) along the many narrow streams are frequently flooded unless protected.

Potential natural vegetation: This area supports Appalachian oak forest vegetation. White pine-hemlock, chestnut oak, white oak-red oak-hickory, northern red oak-basswood-white ash, yellow-poplar-white oak-northern red oak, and loblolly pine-shortleaf pine are important cover types. Dogwood, hornbeam, pawpaw, sassafras, persimmon, greenbrier, leatherwood, mountain-laurel, rhododendron, and witchhazel are included in the understory vegetation. Red spruce and balsam fir grow at higher elevations.

(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 93.)