Natural History. Stewardship. Sustainability.
Plant succession on exposed bedrock on Rock Knob
 |
The bluish rock surface weathers under rain, oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air to a grayish clay film, and thin crustose lichens grow on the rock surface and film. |
 |
Green mosses grow in the rock cracks and depressions that hold rain water. |
 |
Herbs and woody plants find root room and water in the accumulating organic material in deeper rock depressions. |
Excluding further disturbances by fire, foot pressure, glacial scouring and strong wind, the freezing of water in rock crevices and cracks and the roots of woody plants will grow apart rock pieces, and eventually an open shrubland or woodland on shallow soil will develop on top of Rock Knob. The more vegetation on these thin-soiled, relatively dry sites, the more likely that they will burn at some time which will set back successional progress to some previous stage. The results of these slow processes can also be seen on Gazebo Point and other bedrock exposures on Hunter’s Hill. |
|
