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Almost all trees in cove forests are deciduous - that is, they drop their leaves in the fall and produce new ones in spring. The Canada hemlock, in contrast, is an evergreen - it retains its needle...
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(Tilia americana) A medium to large tree that frequently occurs in the understory but may also reach the canopy. The large heart-shaped leaves are finely toothed and have an asymmetrical base. The...
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(Halesia tetraptera) This small to medium-sized understory tree has distinctive white-yellow vertical streaks on its young stems. In early spring it produces white bell-shaped flowers that develop...
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(Fagus grandifolia) The smooth gray bark, sharp-pointed buds, and papery toothed leaves make beech one of the easiest trees to identify. Because it can tolerate deep shade, individuals occur both in...
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(Aseculus flava) The palm-shaped leaves of this deciduous tree are divided into 5-7 large leaflets. Yellow buckeye is one of the first trees to leaf-out in the spring. It produces clusters of tubular...
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The forest floor functions as a wastebasket for all the layers above it. Materials accumulate most rapidly in the fall as the dead leaves of deciduous species fall to the ground. However, a steady...
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Herbaceous plants, or herbs for short, are green plants that have soft rather than woody stems. Most wildflowers and grasses are herbs, as are ferns and mosses.
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Shrubs are woody plants that have several stems and are generally shorter than trees. In ravines and along creeks, shrubs such as rosebay rhododendron from dense thickets. In other areas, shrubs may...
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The understory typically includes smaller individuals of canopy species such as beach and yellow buckeye. Also present are genetically smaller trees that never reach the canopy, such as flowering...
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Mature trees in a cove forest are so large and so closely bunched together that the canopy is like a huge tent that shuts out the sunlight. Most photosynthesis (food production) of the forest occurs...