Aspect: Summit
Slope Position: no slope
Temperature: 16 degree Celsius
Land form: Saddle
This spot was diversely populated with: yellow poplar, hickory, red oak, and maple trees. The reason there are moist soil trees and so many different tree species is because this land form is a saddle, making the two outer edges sort of like a wall, with a very flat piece of land with no slope between them. Sense there is no slope all of the water that flows down from the two sides stays, because there is no were to go and the water soaks into the soil, making the soil very rich for vegetation to grow. Sense the site is on the summit on of the mountain it receives a lot of rain water, because the higher up you go the more moisture the land gets. Another factor that the summit adds is that sense water flows off of the saddle edges and down to the middle it brings with it all of the plant fruit and seedlings. As the water soaks into the soil in the middle of the saddle, so do the trees seeds and they can germinate. The saddle creates a diverse and nutrient rich environment. Seeing as of how this is on the summit, this land receives a good amount of sunlight also aiding the trees in their growth. This location is very diverse and nutrient rich due to the land formation aiding the growth and life of the vegetation.
Citation: http://www.geo.oregonstate.edu/classes/geo582/week_2_2/Swansonetal1988.pdf
Swanson, F.J., Kratz, T.K., N, Caine, Woodmansee, R.G. "Landform Effects on Ecosystem Patterns and Processes." Bio Science Vol. 38 No. 2. Web. 11 Nov. 2013
