There is a gas well located ca. 0.15 mile NW from our plot. To our S is a more mesic oak forest on a S slope (GARI.34). The slope is criss-crossed by old skit trails and gas well roads. Below our plot ca. 0.25 is an active railroad. Further S beyond GARI.34 is a younger TiAm-AcSa-UlRu/LaCa mixed meso forest, more heavily logged. I believe this plot and the last are on land owned by Koontz Log Co, but within NPS proclamation boundary.;Steep gorge slope with a dry oak/heath forest. Several old downed trees. No obvious signs of logging within the plot. Sparse forb layer with few species. The shrub layers are quite dense.
Representativeness
(Less than 1 ha, see aerial photo)
Small patch of a xeric oak forest on a W facing aspect. Similar to patches sampled from Preston Co, Randolph Co and Summers Co. This site seems slightly cooler and more moist.