East Nashville in Davidson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Shelby Bottoms

Rebuilding a Forest

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, April 28, 2023

1. Shelby Bottoms Marker

Inscription. This land used to be covered with dense, ancient forest. Most of it was cut years ago for timber and farmland. Forests rebuild in stages through a process called succession. Sun-loving wildflowers and grasses appear first. These "pioneer" plants provide shade and nutrients for larger shrubs. Tree seedlings begin to grow as soil, shade, temperature, and humidity stabilize. Without intervention, succession continues for centuries, ultimately restoring a mature hardwood forest. Disturbances like floods and fires start the dynamic process all over again.

Each stage of succession has its own associated plants and animals. Because of Shelby Bottoms' history of land use, it contains communities from each stage of the process. The area around the Observation Deck is maintained as an early succession meadow.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Natural Features.

Location. 36° 10.16′ N, 86° 43.173′ W. Marker is in Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County. It is in East Nashville. It can be reached from Shelby Bottoms Greenway. The marker is located in the

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Shelby Bottom Nature Center and Greenway grounds. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Nashville TN 37206, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: More Than Survival (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Shelby Bottoms (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Shelby Bottoms (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Shelby Bottoms (approx. 0.4 miles away); Shelby Park (approx. ¾ mile away); The VinnyLinks Golf Course (approx. 0.9 miles away); Lockeland Spring (approx. 1.2 miles away); Holly Street Fire Hall / Bass Park (approx. 1.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, April 28, 2023

2. Shelby Bottoms Marker

of all markers in Nashville.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 9, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 28, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 192 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 28, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.