montgomery county today
63
•
Mixed Hardwoods
– Smaller woodlands,
particularly along stream valleys and the
Schuylkill River, contain different species of ash,
maple and sycamore. Local mixtures vary and
include minor species such as the slippery elm,
yellow birch, black gum, elm, and poplar.
•
Emerging Woodlands
– Former fields are usually
transformed by rapidly growing trees such as red
cedar, red maple, and aspen. In many of the
emerging woodlands in the county, non-native
trees such as the Norway maple will dominate the
landscape. This can be seen throughout much of
the forest cover in the Evansburg State Park.
There are small areas of the county with coniferous tree
stands including hemlock found on northern facing
slopes near Sunrise Mill and Green Lane Reservoir.
The distribution of woodlands in Montgomery County
occurs in three different patterns. Small, widely
scattered woodlands can be found east of the
Pennsylvania Turnpike, often associated with alluvial
soils or steep slopes. The Pennypack Wilderness
Preserve and Mill Creek Area in Lower Merion contain
significant forest land. Long, linear woodlands along
streams and on alluvial soils are typical in the central
part of the county. Evansburg State Park contains the
large forest in this area. Large forests comprising
thousands of acres are found on diabase ridges in the
western and northern areas of the county. Extensive
woodlands are located in the western part of the county,
including Evansburg State Park, Green Lane Reservoir
area, on hills stretching from Upper Pottsgrove to
Lower Frederick, and a large forest in Marlborough,
Salford, and Upper Salford Townships along the Unami
and Ridge Valley Creeks. The latter example is unique
since it is part of the largest contiguous forest in
southeastern Pennsylvania and is within the Highlands
Region which stretches from Pennsylvania through
western Connecticut.
FIGURE 48:
Woodlands
A broad wooded canopy provides critical habitat for various types of plants and
animals.
This is part of the county’s largest forest
located in Marlborough Township.
¯
Pottstown
Norristown
Lansdale
Collegeville
Jenkintown
Conshohocken
476
276
76
476
t
u
422
t
u
202
611
100
309
Hatboro
Ambler
Pennsburg
73
663
29
29
73
Major Woodlands
Source: Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
2010 Aerial Imagery
