Metacomet Ridge: Difference between revisions

[[Image:Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen CDC.png|left|thumb|120px|Northern copperhead]] The Metacomet Ridge hosts a combination of [[microclimate]]s unusual to the region. Dry, hot upper ridges support [[oak savanna]]s, often dominated by [[chestnut oak]] and a variety of understory grasses and ferns. [[Juniperus virginiana|Eastern red-cedar]], a dry-loving species, clings to the barren edges of cliffs. Backslope plant communities tend to be similar to the adjacent upland plateaus and nearby [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachians]], containing species common to the [[northern hardwood forest|northern hardwood]] and [[oak-hickory forest]] ecosystem types. [[Tsuga canadensis|Eastern hemlock]] crowds narrow ravines, blocking sunlight and creating damp, cooler growing conditions with associated cooler climate plant species. Talus slopes are especially rich in nutrients and support a number of calcium-loving plants uncommon in the region. Miles of high cliffs make ideal [[Bird of prey|raptor]] habitat, and the Metacomet Ridge is a seasonal raptor migration corridor. [[Image:Ram's-Head Lady's-Slipper (Cypripedium arietinum).jpg|thumb|right|100px|Ram's-head lady's slipper]]Because the topography of the ridge offers such varied terrain, many species reach the northern or southern limit of their range on the Metacomet Ridge; others are considered rare nationally or globally. Examples of rare species that live on the ridge include the [[opuntia|prickly pear cactus]], [[peregrine falcon]], [[Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen|northern copperhead]], [[Cypripedium reginae|showy lady's slipper]], [[Corydalis lutea|yellow corydalis]], [[Cypripedium arietinum|ram’s–head lady's slipper]], [[Pycnanthemum clinopodioides|basil mountain mint]], and [[Chamaelirium luteum|devil's bit lillylily]].<ref name="EF"/><ref>[http://www.umass.edu/landeco/teaching/ecosystem_management/schedule/toby/tobyscenario.pdf "Mount Toby Ecosystem.”] (Undated) The Mount Toby Partnership. Amherst, Massachusetts: [[University of Massachusetts Amherst]]. Retrieved November 30, 2007.</ref>