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Foothills- “flat rock communities” can be found here: outcroppings of rock with standing water. Endemic flowers are a species of flower only found in these communities, such as Cottony Groundsel...
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The significant amount of warm rain water greatly benefits the plant and animal life here. In one of these pools of water found in the rock outcroppings, Spotted Salamander egg masses can be seen...
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Vernal Pools - Red Cedar trees commonly populate these rock outcropping areas. Lichens break down the rock surface, creating the dirt in which plants can grow. Black Rock Moss Haircap Moss...
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After the rock gets broken down into soil, the first species of plant life to grow in these areas are mainly Stonecrops, along with Rock Sandwort.
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Rudy and Jim discuss the process of exfoliation, which commonly takes place on rock outcroppings such as this one. Here, on this island of soil, we see more yellow jessamine, moss, red cedar trees...
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Large masses of granite such as this one, are sometimes called “Plutons,” named after the Roman god of the underworld. This is due the hot liquid granite coming up from the ground and cooling...
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Rudy and Jim visit Appalachian Cove, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of South Carolina. Some of the flowering plants found here have cousins nowhere else in the world except China and Japan. At this first...
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Some of the trees found in the area also have blossoms. The redbud is one example. On a nearby hickory tree, Rudy and Jim come across a woodpecker called a yellow bellied sap-sucker, which has come to...
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Cove forests are very popular with visitors, due to the rich bottom soil found here. One animal which does very well in these areas is the beaver. Its work can be seen here with its telltale signs of...
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Before the trees start to bloom, the flowers in the area explode with blossoms first. Here we see Lousewort and Pennywort flowers. While observing the flowers, Rudy and Jim come across a Black Chinned...