Downslope ca. 50 yds is a gravel trail. Upsloope the community appears similar only slightly younger. On the SSE edge of the plot is a small opening dominated by Rubus allegheniensis and Verbesina alternifolia. There is a known Running Buffalo Clover site above the parking lot to the Big Springs Gap trailhead.;Rich, mesic forest on moderately steep WSW facing slope. Forest is dominated by red oak and sugar maple with a dense and lush herb layer represented by stinging wood nettle. The trees are tall with a dense canopy allowing only filtered sunlight to reach the forest floor. The upslope portion of the plot has some cover of colluvial sandstone. However the lower portion of the plot has a few low moss covered limestone rocks roughly 0.5 x 0.5 m.
Representativeness
Large patch of mesic Quercus rubra - Acer saccharum / Laportea canadensis forest. Plot was placed to sample forest community occurring on limestone.