The Eastern Hemlock has green needle-shaped leaves year-round and produces small cones, which ripen in the fall and then release seeds in the winter. As mentioned previously, these trees are common in the park and found within the Hemlock – Beech – Oak Forest. The state tree of Pennsylvania is the Eastern Hemlock. The sap can be collected from Sugar Maple trees and boiled down to create maple syrup. In the summertime, the leaves are dark green, but in the fall change to a beautiful yellow or burnt orange color. Sugar Maple is a large hardwood tree that usually ranges from 70 to 90 feet. In the park, Sugar Maple may be found alongside species such as White Ash and American Basswood. The state tree of New York is the Sugar Maple. The park is also home to the state trees of both New York and Pennsylvania. Adult female butterflies lay eggs on the buds of Blue Ridge Blueberry, and once the caterpillars hatch, they feed on the flowers and fruit. The Blue Ridge Blueberry is a host plant for the Brown Elfin Butterfly. Lowbush Blueberry has small berries that are very sweet and can be used to make jam. Lowbush Blueberry, along with Blue Ridge Blueberry, are two of the dominant shrubs in these communities. Then, if fire comes back it restarts the process. Then, as time goes on, more shrub species and even some trees may appear. After a fire, the dense shrub layer is the first plant life to reappear. These plant communities are created and maintained by fire. The higher elevation rocky ridges and summits in the park are often characterized by a dense shrub layer. Young Box Elder plants may be mistaken for Poison Ivy but can be distinguished by their green instead of reddish stems. Box Elder often has leaves with three leaflets, resembling Poison Ivy. The leaves of Silver Maple appear bright green but have a silvery-white underside. Silver Maple and Box Elder are typically found on higher terraces along the river and experience less frequent flooding, only becoming inundated during more significant flood events. The outer darker layers peel back to reveal lighter, almost white inner bark. The bark of American Sycamore is uniquely mottled. American Sycamore may be found on low terraces directly next to the river channel and experience frequent flooding. Visitors may encounter trees like American Sycamore, Silver Maple, and Box Elder throughout the river floodplain. Oak trees produce acorns, which is an important food source for wildlife like the Wood Duck. Most oak trees have lobed leaves that turn yellow or orange in the fall. Oak trees prefer slightly acidic soil and are thus usually found on thin, rocky, acidic soil in the park. Common oak species in the park include White Oak, Scarlet Oak, Northern Red Oak, and Chestnut Oak. There are hundreds of different species of oak trees around the world. Nearly one-third of the park contains forest types dominated by oak trees. Other trees in the Hemlock – Beech – Oak Forest, such as American Beech, Sweet Birch, Chestnut Oak, and Red Oak, are deciduous trees, meaning they shed their leaves each year. Conifers are characterized by their cones and needle or scale-shaped leaves. Other evergreens are found in these forests, like the Eastern Hemlock, an evergreen conifer. Great Laurel is evergreen, which means it maintains green foliage year-round. Great Laurel has large white to pink bell-shaped flowers in the summertime. The evergreen shrub, Great Laurel, also known as Great Rhododendron, is commonly found within these forests. This forest type compromises one-fifth of the park. The most common forest type found in the park, the Hemlock – Beech – Oak Forest, is home to Eastern Hemlock, American Beech, Sweet Birch, Chestnut Oak, and Northern Red Oak. Shrubs are usually smaller than trees and have multiple woody stems arising near the ground. Generally, trees have a trunk larger than two inches in diameter at four and a half feet above the ground. Trees typically have a single stem, called the trunk, and lateral branches. Trees and shrubs are woody perennials, of which many species can be found in the Upper Delaware Region.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |