Elk Knob State Park - Ecology

Ecology

Elk Knob State Park's location atop an amphibolite peak has made it a vitally important and ecologically unique area. Amphibolite is a dark metamorphic rock that is rich in nutrients and supports the growth of rare plants. Elk Knob and Rittle Knob, which are now part of Elk Knob State Park, are ecologically rich sites that host diverse and rare plant species such as Gray's lily, Rattlesnake root, Flame azalea, Purple fringed orchid and Trailing wolfsbane.

Northern hardwood forests grow at Elk Knob State Park. This type of forest consists of sugar maple, American beech, yellow buckeye and Yellow birch trees. The trees that grow near the summits of Rittle and Elk Knobs have been stunted by the low temperatures, high elevation and high winds. Trees that are just a few feet high can be well over one hundred years old.

The forests of Elk Knob State Park provide a habitat for a number of woodland species including a breeding colony of ravens, the American Black Bear, Bobcat, White-tailed deer, and Wild Turkeys. Since the park is largely undeveloped, these species have lived in an environment that has been largely left undisturbed by man. Development that has taken place at the park has been to minimize ecologic damage.