Appalachian "balds" like those found on Whitetop represent a globally rare ecosystem. An Appalachian grassy bald can be defined as an area of naturally-occurring, treeless vegetation found in an area otherwise dominated by forest cover. Instead of forest, though, balds consist of grasses and other herbaceous plants in their central areas and are usually surrounded by a transition zone of shrubs around the edge, where the bald meets forest. There are around ninety balds that occur from Whitetop south across the Appalachians to Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia, ranging in size from a few acres to hundreds of acres across. Many globally rare and endangered plant species call these unique habitats home, the majority of which are only found or have relatives in colder, northern climates - meaning that they exist on balds as remnants of ecosystems that were perhaps more abundant during the peak of our most recent Ice Age.

 

Balds aren't just a unique habitat, though; they are also one of the mountains' greatest ecological mysteries. While some balds have been created by humans for livestock grazing, others - like the bald on Whitetop - have completely unknown origins. There are currently several possible hypotheses that might explain the origin of the balds. Some hypotheses suggest that severe climatic conditions during the peak of our last Ice Age might have prevented tree growth on these high peaks. Others suggest that "megaherbivores" - large, now-extinct mammals such as mastodons, mammoths, and musk ox - may have kept these treeless patches open through their grazing activity. Although this hypothesis seems unlikely at face value, abundant fossil evidence from these organisms has been located at nearby locations such as Saltville, Virginia and Gray, Tennessee, lending some evidence to this idea.

 

Amidst all this confusion, one thing is certain: balds are currently decreasing in number and size all across Appalachia. Without some form of disturbance from grazing or human clearing, our thick Appalachian hardwood forests quickly encroach on grassy balds and eliminate them...along with their rare species. Conservation efforts, including prescribed burning, mowing, and even maintaining goat herds on the balds, are therefore being looked into in order to preserve our remaining balds. The goals of these efforts are to not only ensure the survival of the globally rare species that occur in these habitats but also to ensure that future generations will have access to these same awe-inspiring places that we presently have the luxury of experiencing firsthand.