Over ridge on warm plateau slope is oak - hickory on acidic soil.;Upper cove slope with cool aspect near top of gorge where it becomes plateau. Forest of large red oak with beech, tulip poplar, cherry, and hickory. Rich site indicators include red bud and spice bush in shrub layer and abundant christmas fern. Small ledges of bedrock are exposed. Fertility may be related to bedrock and/or moist aspect (or both).
Representativeness
Deciduous oak forest on coolest aspect on upper topo position. Variation of matrix oak forest, similar to some stands of oak - hickory - sugar maple forest at New River.