The features of the physical setting of the Chestnut Oak Forest work together to create a dry and very acidic and infertile soil. A southerly or westerly exposure means that sunlight bakes away moisture. Ecobit: How Topography Creates Microclimates Convex-shaped slopes shed water quickly and prevent soils from accumulating. Weverton quartzite, the bedrock beneath this natural community, doesn’t contain many minerals that would act as plant nutrients. It all adds up to an environment that’s too challenging for most plants.