Environmental Description:  This shale barren vegetation occurs in the Ridge and Valley of northwest Georgia on dry steep exposed, weathered shale of the Red Mountain Formation (which includes interbedded Silurian sandstone, siltstone, shale and limestone). Elevations vary from 365 to 425 m (1200-1400 feet). Areas of exposed weathered shale fragments with scattered exposed Red Mountain sandstone are frequent at the soil surface. Slopes are steep to very steep with south, southwest, or southeast aspects. The Red Mountain Formation occurs on most of the higher ridges of the Ridge and Valley Province in northwest Georgia. It is composed of hard sandstone and softer shale layers with other minor components occurring locally. In particular, it includes "(i)nterbedded yellowish-gray to moderate-red sandstone, siltstone and shale; greenish-gray to moderate-red fossiliferous partly silty and sandy limestone; few thin hematitic beds" (USGS 2015). The sandstone layers are thickest (sometimes massive) along the eastern side of the province, becoming progressively thinner westward, while the shale layers are thinnest in the east, becoming progressively thicker westward. The abundance of a large number of high base plant indicator species in occurrences suggests high calcium levels in the soil, but detailed soil data are not available. This may be accounted for by the inclusions of the fossiliferous limestone noted above.