Physiognomy and Structure: No Data Available

Floristics: Vegetation is sparse, consisting of scattered trees, shrubs, herbs, and sometimes bryophytes that include weedy species, species of the adjacent forest communities, along with species of open dry and open wet habitats. A denser zone of vegetation may occur at the top of the cliff or on slumped material at its base. Pinus taeda, Morella cerifera, and Andropogon spp. are frequent, at least in North Carolina, the former sometimes occurring only as seedlings or saplings. Other species include Vaccinium arboreum, Liquidambar styraciflua, Acer floridanum, Ilex decidua, Cyrilla racemiflora, Eupatorium capillifolium, Mikania scandens, Muhlenbergia schreberi, and Hydrocotyle verticillata. Most of the species are acid-tolerant, and more basophilic species are largely absent. However, calcareous seepage may allow basophilic species to occur in limited portions of the community.

Dynamics:  Coastal Plain cliffs are generally dynamic compared to hard rock cliffs in other regions. Without periodic undercutting and slumping, primary succession can lead to a forest community in a fairly short time. Between slumps, Coastal Plain cliffs are also more dynamic, being more prone to small-scale slumps and local erosion by runoff.