Natural Processes
Natural processes shape the land, create soil and topsoil, influence the water supply, and help determine the plants and animals that live in each natural community. Some natural processes act on large scales and affect more than one natural community at a time.
In This Community
Important natural processes in the Eastern Hemlock – Hardwood Forest include these:
- cool microclimate (Ecobit: How Topography Creates Microclimates)
- processes leading to the formation of dry, acidic soils (Ecobit: Soil Processes—Creating a Place to Take Root)
- canopy gaps (Ecobit: Canopy Gaps—Room to Grow)
In the Broader Landscape
An ecological system is a group of several natural communities that share some features of physical setting and many of the same natural processes, plants, and animals.
The Eastern Hemlock - Hardwood Forest is the only natural community in the (Hemlock) – Northern Hardwood Forests Ecological System in Harpers Ferry National Historical Park. Any other natural communities in this ecological system are beyond the borders of the park.
Explore This Natural Community's Ecological System
Eastern Hemlock - Hardwood Forest Natural Community