Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve is a
Natural Area Preserve
The Washington Natural Areas Program, part of the Washington Department of Natural Resources, manages dozens of natural areas owned by the U.S. state of Washington. These areas have received funding through the state's general fund since the Washi ...
in
Floyd County, Virginia
Floyd County is a county located in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,476. Its county seat is the town of Floyd. Floyd County is included in the Blacksburg- Christiansburg, VA Metropolitan Statistica ...
.
Description
Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve covers the summit and slopes of Buffalo Mountain, a peak in southwest Virginia.
It is open to the public and includes a small parking area from which an approximately trail may be traversed to reach the summit.
[
The treeless summit is home to rare plant species including three-toothed cinquefoil ('' Sibbaldia tridentata'') and Rocky Mountain woodsia ('']Physematium scopulinum
''Physematium scopulinum'', also called ''Woodsia scopulina'', is a deciduous perennial fern in the family Woodsiaceae, with the common name Rocky Mountain woodsia.
This plant is native to the western and northern United States and Canada
...
''); other rare plants, such as bog bluegrass ('' Poa paludigena'') and large-leaved grass-of-Parnassus
The genus ''Parnassia'', also known as grass of Parnassus or bog-stars, are flowering plants now placed in the family Celastraceae, formerly classified in Parnassiaceae or Saxifragaceae. The plants occur in arctic and alpine climate, alpine hab ...
(''Parnassia grandifolia
''Parnassia grandifolia'', also known as bigleaf grass of Parnassus, is a flowering herbaceous plant of the family Celastraceae.
It is native to the southeastern United States, where it has a spotty distribution. Its primary habitat is open wet ...
''), are found at seep
A seep or flush is a moist or wet place where water, usually groundwater, reaches the Earth's surface from an underground aquifer.
Description
Seeps are usually not of sufficient volume to be flowing beyond their immediate above-ground location. ...
s along the mountain's base. In total, the preserve protects thirteen rare plant occurrences, three rare animal occurrences, and six significant natural communities.[ Buffalo Mountain is also the only place in the world where the ]mealybug
Mealybugs are insects in the family Pseudococcidae, unarmored scale insects found in moist, warm habitats. Of the more than 2,000 described species, many are considered pests as they feed on plant juices of greenhouse plants, house plants and ...
'' Puto kosztarabi'' is known to live.[ ]
See also
* List of Virginia Natural Area Preserves
The Virginia Natural Area Preserve System is a system of protected areas in the state of Virginia. It is managed by the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation.
, there are sixty-six (66) dedicated preserves in Virginia totaling . The ...
References
External links
Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation: Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve
Virginia Natural Area Preserves
Protected areas of Floyd County, Virginia
{{FloydCountyVA-geo-stub