Recreation area with road leading to top of mountain with fire tower. Warmer aspects with Red Oak, cooler with Northern hardwoods, and gradients between. From here down to road is nice 2nd growth - below road is more recently logged.;High elevation SW aspect of Bickle Knob. Community is a second growth forest of large Red Oak with mostly smaller Maples and Beech. There is abundant woody debris and canopy gaps from apparently severe wind or ice events. Hay scented fern is dominant in the understory due to elevated light (and deer herbivory?). There are Oak seedlings in the short shrub layer, but little regeneration in upper strata. Large standing dead scattered in stand.
Representativeness
Plot has a significant canopy gap caused by windfall, but is peripheral to a larger gap which has fewer large trees. Downslope becomes more close canopied and hay scented fern becomes less abundant. Black Cherry scattered outside plot.
