Karst plains were cleared for agriculture but are now mostly occupied by successional tulip tree forest with small patches of oak - hickory mostly continued to rocky areas. Old fields are being planted with trees of unknown species and lineage.;Rolling karst topography on limestone, with a rocky fin and swale. Vegetation is a deciduous forest dominated by large hickories with a single huge chinquapin oak. Sub-canopy includes dogwood, sugar maple, and hickory saplings. There will be dense cover by paw-paw in the tall shrub layer. Herb layer represented by abundant spring ephemerals, but lacking the most nutrient demanding species. Herb cover reduced to 5% by July 26 revisit except for increase in Circaea and Carex albursina. Most spring ephemerals not apparent in July.
Representativeness
Small patch remnant calcareous oak - hickory forest on rocky spur and swale, may represent natural type for surrounding areas that are predominately successional tulip tree forest (NCTC.15). Early spring sample. Revisit by Vanderhorst on July 26, 2011 to