Site 2 Coordinate: N39 38.008 W77 26.262
Aspect: 100 Degrees
Slope Position: nose
Temperature: 17 degrees Celsius
Landform: ridge
This is the ridge line where wolf rock is actually at. As you can see from these photos there is very little soil and majority rock. These rocks are made up of lime stone and the reason that they are sticking out of the soil and are so apparent is because limestone does not erode easily.This location is also very open and there is no vegetation to block out the sun. When this location receives sunlight there is no barrier between the light and the soil so it just soaks up all of the water before plants can use it, making this a very dry sight. At this location there isn't much water because it just washes off of the rocks and the water that does stay, there isn't much soil to soak it up. With all of these things combined it makes this location a dry location.These conditions make it a prime location for pine trees to grow, which as you can see make up a vast majority in the photos. There is a correlation between plant diversity and and nutrients available in a community. When there is low nutrient availability it reduces vegetation growth rates and supports a lower density and biomass. This would explain why there are so little trees and so little diversity, because there is so little nutrients available for them along this ridge.
Citation:
Smith, M Thomas, and Smith, Leo Robert. "Factors Influencing the Structure of Communities." Elements of    Ecology. Wilbur Beth. Seventh Edition. San Francisco, CA. 2009. 649. Print