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| Plant Ecology of the Area Surveyed | ||||
| Buttermilk Gorge is located
within the "Lower Park" portion of Buttermilk Falls State
Park; that is, the section below King Road. It is basically a
gash in Earth's thick, rocky mantle, created by the flowing water of
Buttermilk Creek over thousands of years. The Lower Park is
predominantly forested. The forest is continuous, save for a few
small clearings created to meet recreational needs of park visitors, and
for areas where the walls of the gorge channel have been eroded more
substantially. Sections of forest may be variously dry or damp,
relatively "natural" or disturbed.
Growing conditions for plants are variable, depending on soil depth, soil acidity (pH), bedrock characteristics, drainage, water flow (within the creek channel itself), aspect (direction that a slope faces), relative availability of light, extent of deer browse, and chemical properties of dominant species, which may promote or retard growth of other members of the plant community. Most plant species thrive in specific growing conditions (habitats). Elsewhere, they may occur in other habitats, but perhaps will not be at their best. Even many common, weedy species require particular growing conditions, usually open, slightly dry to mesic, disturbed soils. Most of these weedy plants would have a difficult time surviving in the gorge channel, where conditions are darker, wetter and cooler. Ecological conditions are variable within the two major sections of the area surveyed; i.e., the gorge and rim trails. We need to divide these major sections into subsections in order to understand the specific conditions in each smaller area.
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Section: Gorge Trail |
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| Subsection: Amphitheater | ||
| Subsection: Initial Ascent | ||
| Subsection: Highlands Dry | ||
| Subsection: Highlands Wet | ||
| Subsection: Eastern plateau | ||
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Section: Rim Trail |
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| Subsection: Lower rim trail, up to western overlook | ||
| Subsection: Middle rim trail, rich woods | ||
| Subsection: Middle rim trail, disturbed service road | ||
| Subsection: Upper rim trail, hemlock-hardwoods | ||
| Subsection: Upper rim trail, disturbed flatland | ||
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Section: Vacant Lot |
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Note: The visitor center and outlet sections are man-made habitats. |
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