Map tip: To see where any of these not-so-natural communities occurs, go to the interactive map of Harpers Ferry NHP and search for it by part of its name ("fields," "open space").

Hay Fields

On Schoolhouse Ridge and Murphy-Chambers Farm there are fields covered with perennial grasses and/or legumes. They are kept free of shrubs and trees for hay production, or to preserve views or historic battlefields. Many creatures benefit from these types of openings in the forest, including field mice and their predators, butterflies, pollinator insects, and grassland birds.

A replica cannon sits in a forested open space at Harpers Ferry NHP.
Photographer: Laura Reynolds, NPS.

Cultivated Crops

When the park map was created, some fields on Schoolhouse Ridge were still being plowed under and planted annually with cultivated crops such as corn and soybeans. But because of repeated crop damage by an overabundant deer population, more recently these fields have been left unplowed and converted to hay fields.

Forested Open Space

This includes forested campgrounds, picnic sites, and large-lot residential areas—places that have a substantial tree canopy but are not natural forests with an undisturbed understory.

Developed Open Space

Lawns, ornamental plantings, cemeteries, and large-lot residential areas that are mostly lawn grasses make up this category.