We took a hike in early November when the Mountian Ash (Sorbus americana) was in full fruit on Buffalo Mountain. One of my favorite places to go is the Buffalo Mountain Nature Preserve in Floyd, VA. The mountain gets its name because of its strong resemblance to a buffalo's hump. It's unique geologically because it is a monadnock, an isolated ridge that rises abruptly from the surrounding area. It also has five mafic glades on the southern side of the mountain. Mafic refers to areas where there is a high content of magnesium and iron in the rock. A glade is an open area within a woodland often with little or no soil for trees to grow on. Conditions in glades may be more desert-like because the ground is not protected from the sun by trees or other larger shrubs and temperatures can be as much as 20 degrees higher than in surrounding areas.
You can view more information about Buffalo Mountain on the Natural Heritage website:
You can view more information about Buffalo Mountain on the Natural Heritage website:
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