Restoring Shale Glades at Middle Fork Barrens
Interspersed within the oak and oak-pine woodlands at Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area are a specialized natural community — shale glades. Glades are open, rocky areas dominated by drought-adapted forbs (flowering plants) and warm-season grasses. Over time, several glades at Middle Fork Barrens became overrun with eastern red cedar due to decades of fire suppression, resulting in a dramatic change as cedar shaded out the understory (the plants underneath). Read more here about restoring shale glades at Middle Fork Barrens.
