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How to Recognize It
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The Basic Woodland consists of grassy, rocky slopes sparsely dotted with stunted white ash and pignut hickory trees. The soil is thin, rocky, and dry, but it is also fertile due to high amounts of calcium and other base minerals. Ecobit: Defining Terms: Acidic vs. Basic Southwest exposure means abundant sunlight, which, combined with the nutrient-rich soil, supports a diverse field layer of grasses, sedges, and wildflowers. The Basic Woodland is rare because it depends on an unusual combination of factors: sunny exposed sites with dry, fertile soil.
Can you find this combination of key features?
Identifying This Natural Community
- Sparse, stunted trees (mostly pignut hickory and white ash)
- (Optional) scattered oaks and Virginia pine (if present, not dominant)
- Native grasses and sedges, and summer wildflowers (woodland sunflower, plus nutrient-demanding plants such as eastern bottlebrush grass, hoary mountainmint, and elmleaf goldenrod)
- Location: on dry and rocky southwest-facing slopes
If so, welcome to the Basic Woodland in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.
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