Steep, rock-covered slope in this community.
Photographer: Milo PyneQuartzite is an incredibly durable, acidic rock that doesn’t easily break down into soil. So there’s not much soil available on talus slopes of quartzite. This makes it challenging for plants to gain a toehold in the Sweet Birch - Chestnut Oak Talus Woodland. Roots have to grow down between the rocks to find bits of soil and moisture. To make matters more challenging, what little soil exists here is extremely acidic, composed mainly of decayed leaves or other organic matter, and lacking gin the kinds of minerals or elements that help plants grow. Shifting boulders can topple or damage trees that manage to grow here, keeping them widely scattered and stunted. 

For a study in contrasts, compare this natural community to the Rich Boulderfield Forest at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.