Downsope in ravine bottoms, Rhododendron maximum becomes dominant under hemlock - hardwood and pure hardwood canopies. Some areas on upper slopes have hemlock over hemlock, others have oak over hemlock.;Sideslope of small hollow of a dissected plateau. Residual, eroded soils derived from sandstone parent material. Community is a hemlock - mixed hardwood forest with scattered large trees. Hemlock regeneration dominates shrub layer, but is kind of scraggly. Deciduous trees include red oak, white oak, beech and tuliptree. There is a dead hickory snag in plot. Second growth with some old growth features ( tip mounds, rotten wood).
Representativeness
Hemlock - hardwood forest without rhododendron. Sampled to compare to similar patterns at Gauley and New River. Plot placed to include hemlock in canopy (=older patch).
