Similar communities repeated along extensive gorge system up Brushy Creek, grading to more acid Hemlock - Rhododendron also.;Loose shaley bowl with ledges under a cliff. Mixed deciduous - conifer open forest with openings due to steep slopes & rock. Canopy trees include Hemlock, Basswood, Sugar Maple. Shrub layer includes rare species. High pH soil.
Representativeness
Plot placed to sample co-occurrence of Thuja and Taxus on shaley ledges. Taxus also occurs in more acidic - looking vegetation with Rhododendron maximum.