Over fall break, I visited The Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, containing the highest point in Orange County. It is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna not found in other regions in the state. One such species is the rare brown elfin butterfly which is not again found over 100 miles westward. These butterflies once vastly populated the piedmont area, but after the last ice age, the Occoneechee Mountain butterflies were all that remained in the area. The rare sweet pinesap and witch-alder plants can be found on the mountain. The mountain marks the eastern most limit for many other plant species such Bradley's spleenwort. The Occoneechee State Natural Area is unique in geology as well. Occoneechee mountain has suffered severe rock slides on one rock face over the past decade due to a loss of vegetation on the rock face that would normally keep the rock in place and increased stress due to temperature variations on the natural cracks in the quartz. Unfortunately, I was unable to access the trail that would have allowed me to take a picture of the rock slide. Instead, I hiked the mountain loop trail. I have included a picture of the rock slide that I found at
http://www.ajmm.net/mountain/Geology/slide.htm.
Over fall break, I visited The Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, containing the highest point in Orange County. It is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna not found in other regions in the state. One such species is the rare brown elfin butterfly which is not again found over 100 miles westward. These butterflies once vastly populated the piedmont area, but after the last ice age, the Occoneechee Mountain butterflies were all that remained in the area. The rare sweet pinesap and witch-alder plants can be found on the mountain. The mountain marks the eastern most limit for many other plant species such Bradley's spleenwort. The Occoneechee State Natural Area is unique in geology as well. Occoneechee mountain has suffered severe rock slides on one rock face over the past decade due to a loss of vegetation on the rock face that would normally keep the rock in place and increased stress due to temperature variations on the natural cracks in the quartz. Unfortunately, I was unable to access the trail that would have allowed me to take a picture of the rock slide. Instead, I hiked the mountain loop trail. I have included a picture of the rock slide that I found at http://www.ajmm.net/mountain/Geology/slide.htm. 
No comments:
Post a Comment