Arabia Mountain

By Thomson200 – Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62190412

 

Located in the Piedmont physiographic province, Arabia Mountain is a granite outcrop composed of Lithonia gneiss. These outcrops were originally intrusive plutons which formed deep underground as molten rock cooled. Over millions of years, the rock overlying these plutons has weathered away, eventually revealing these stone structures. The barren nature of this and other outcrops results in a very unique plant community. Plants are primarily able to grow in areas where the rock has weathered and left pockets of grave. Species such as elf orpine (Diamorpha smallii) and Stone Mountain daisies (Helianthus porteri) are specially adapted to these pockets of shallow soil, which gradually become deeper as they weather and organic matter becomes deposited in them. Arabia Mountain is protected within the Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve and the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area, and is often visited by hikers. The area was previously a part of a quarry, and some remains, such as places where spikes were used to split granite, still remain on the mountain.

Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve. (n.d.). . https://arabiaalliance.org/places-to-see/davidson-arabia-mountain-nature-preserve/.

Edwards, L., J. Ambrose, and L. K. Kirkman. 2013. The Natural Communities of Georgia. University of Georgia Press, Athens, GA.

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