Plants and Animals
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Plants
This community consists almost entirely of orange jewelweed, growing atop a pile of logs or driftwood on a riverbank.
Canopy Trees
The trees whose crowns intercept most of the sunlight in a forest stand. The uppermost layer of a forest.
This natural community has no canopy trees.
Understory Trees
Small trees and young specimens of large trees growing beneath the canopy trees. Also called the subcanopy.
This natural community has no understory trees.
Shrubs, Saplings, and Vines
Shrubs, juvenile trees and vines at the right height to give birds and others a perch up off the ground but below the trees.
This natural community has no shrubs, saplings, or vines.
Low Plants (Field Layer)
Plants growing low to the ground. This includes small shrubs and tree seedlings.
- orange jewelweed
- Allegheny monkeyflower (occasional)
- biennial bee-blossom (occasional)
- Canadian wood-nettle (occasional)
- pale jewelweed (occasional)
Non-Native Invasive Plant Species
Not many plants take to this highly unstable environment. Japanese stiltgrass* is one of the few plants that manages to colonize the temporary driftwood piles. See Ecological Threats.
Notable Variations
Pale jewelweed, with yellow flowers, sometimes colonizes these driftwood piles.
Animals
Even though natural communities aren’t named after animals, animals do play a crucial role in maintaining natural communities. Plants and animals need each other. To name just a few examples, plants provide food and habitat for animals, and animals help plants reproduce by spreading pollen and seeds. To learn more, see The Role of Animals in Natural Communities in Ecology Basics.
Check out iNaturalist to see photos of animals (and plants!) that people have seen in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.