As we disperse to select personal observation areas, I feel that there is no spot that looks more or less appealing than another. Eastern hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) are ubiquitous in this section of the forest, and I choose my spot simply because there is a rock from which to sit and observe. What I don’t realize at the time is that this rock adds a point of interest to the Wessels, “Pillows and Cradles” reading.
Covering the rock is a layer of moss supporting the growth of a hemlock sapling. This confuses me considering that Wessels discusses the growth of hemlocks on “nurse logs,” not plain rocks. He describes these logs, usually hemlocks, as the ideal facilitators of moss growth due to their rate of decay. While he states that hardwoods, such as “maples, beeches, and birches” (Wessels 121), decay too quickly, it seems implicit that a rock experiencing no biological decay would not promote moss growth either. I wonder whether an old hemlock has decomposed over many decades on this rock to the point where the only remaining evidence of its existence is the moss that persists. The snow on this slope only exposes the moss partially, and perhaps there is a sizeable layer of moss that can’t be seen on this rock. In any case, I question if these saplings will be able to grow without a connection to a nurse log or to the soil.
More numerous on this rock is a type of fern I have not observed in my previous trips to the TAM. With some research, I identify this as a common polypody, or rock fern (Polypodium vulgare). Seeing this plant makes me more cognizant of the specific conditions of this forest. The Vermont State Parks website describes the plant’s habitat as “abundant on moist shady cliffs, rocks…” which is a near exact description of this habitat. Furthermore, the abundance of hemlocks with a smattering of paper birches (Betula papyrifera) in this forest demonstrates the specific necessity of shade-tolerance in this environment. Hemlocks dominate because they are extremely shade- tolerant trees, while the birches, shade-intolerant, require perfect conditions (an ample amount of light) to thrive in this forest, and are less numerous as a result.
