Bee Branch
Location
Forest: Wm. B. Bankhead National Forest (Sipsey Wilderness)
County: Lawrence Co.
District: Bankhead Ranger District
SAF Cover Types: Cover type 58, yellow poplar-hemlock
View a searchable map for the Bee Branch RNA.
Related Reports and Publications
- Society of American Foresters., DeVall, W. B., & Alabama Society of American Foresters. (1949). Records, 1949-1983. Archival material.
- Hardin, E.D. 1978. Quantitative analyses of the vegetation and abiotic factors in a disjunct hemlock community in Alabama. M.S. Thesis, The University of Alabama at Huntsville.
- Hardin, E.D. and K.P. Lewis. 1980. Vegetation analysis of Bee Branch Gorge, a Hemlock-Beech community on the Warrior River basin of Alabama. Castanea 45:248–25.
- Mohlenbrock, R. H. 1990. Bee Branch, Alabama. Natural History 99(3): 80-82.
- Devall, M. S. and P. F. Ramp 1992. U. S. Forest Service Research Natural Areas and protection of old growth in the South. Natural Areas Journal 12(2): 75-85.
- Gunasekaran, M.; Weber, D. J.; Sanderson, S. and Devall, M.S. 1992. Reanalysis of the Vegetation of Bee Branch Gorge Research Natural Area, a Hemlock-Beech Community on the Warrior River Basin of Alabama. Castanea 57(1): 34-45.
Ecological and Physical Description
Old growth hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) – beech (Fagus grandifolia) community; southernmost range limit for hemlock.
Gorge in Warrior River Basin, a submaturely dissected plateau.
56.6”
The nearest weather station is at St. Bernard in Cullman Co.
The RNA lies entirely within a canyon entrenched into the Cumberland Plateau. It is bounded on all sides except the south by the canyon escarpment. The sandstone cliff has sheer drops of up to 100 ft. Huge blocks of the sandstone caprock break away to form extremely rough talus like slopes. The slope surfaces are classified as bouldery colluvium with Jefferson soil material.
The Bee Branch RNA drains from north to south. Bee Branch Creek falls into the gorge at 720 ft (215 m) and flows into the Sipsey River at 520 ft (177 m).
Flora and Fauna
Common Plant Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Category | At Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tsuga canadensis | Old growth hemlock | Plant Communities | ||
| Fagus grandifolia | Beech | Plant Communities | In 1977 two co–dominant tree species were Fagus grandifolia and Tsuga canadensis. In the 1989 sample, Tsuga canadensis had a higher importance percentage than Fagus grandifolia (Gunasekaran et al. 1992). The flora is a relic of a more northern flora which may be second to none in the eastern United States, probably the last sizeable remnant of virgin cove hardwood forest. |
|
| Smilax spp. | Briars | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Vitis spp. | Grapes | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Kalmia latifolia | Mountain Laurel | Common Shrub Species | ||
| Carex picta | Sedge | Common Herbaceous Species | The understory is relatively open with much of the low ground cover consisting of sedges and a diversity of liverworts. |
|
| Mitchella repens | Partridge berry | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Viola spp. | Violets | Common Herbaceous Species | ||
| Lonicera japonica | Japanese honeysuckle | Common Herbaceous Species |
Common Animal Species
| Scientific Name | Common Name | Category | At Risk | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaetura pelagica | Chimney swift | Common Bird Species |