Plot is located near the western edge of a national forest botanical area. The forest is a mixture of rich oak hickory, mixed mesophytic and a few small patches with red oak / hemlock dominance. Across the unnamed tributary to the E is privately owned by a limestone company. To the W about 100m is the Coberly Sods grazing allotment.;Mature forest growing on a SE facing shoulderslope and dominated by Quercus rubra with Acer saccharum coming up. There is an old fence along the SW edge of the plot. Perhaps the forest was grazed in the past. There is some sign of herbivory but the S1 and herb layers are still abundant. There are several large trees down in the plot. All are heading downhill. Although there are limestone chunks in the plot and a limestone cliff just above and below the plot, there must be acidic sandstone because the soil pH is 4.0.
Representativeness
Small patch of mature oak, hickory, sugar maple forest. Plot was placed to sample climax forest on limestone. A rarity in WV due to logging and conversion to agriculture.
