Describes the natural and geological processes that have changed the Southern Appalachian landscape over millions of years. Chapters: Paleo-Indian Period; Archaic Period; Woodland and Mississippian Periods; early history; European settlement; early 19th cent.; Civil War and its aftermath; late 19th cent.; early 20th cent. conservation in the Southern Appalachians; Great Depression and New Deal; WWII and the 1950s; and recent decades. Appendix of plant and animal names. Parks and wilderness areas have provided refuge for native plants and animals, whereas in national forests managers have sought to regulate resource extraction.