Open farmland forms a mosaic with patches of ridgetop forest along this county road.;Small patch of Hemlock dominance in ridgetop Oak forest. County road and logging / ATV roads run through the community but not within the plot. Hemlocks are stressed but not dead as we have seen farther South on Shenandoah Mtn. Abundant coarse woody debris. No Hemlock regeneration, probably due to deer herbivory. Oak regeneration is also missing from the browse layer. Fire scars and charcoal present.
Representativeness
Plot was placed to sample Hemlock - Oak dominance in ridgetop acidic forest, within high wind resource polygon.