Station N
Layers of sediment • Burnt cornflakes and incomplete rings (A1.95)
The rock in front of this station marker shows how different layers of sediment formed the underlying bedrock of the park. This piece of metamorphosed sandstone has been turned on its side with its component layers separated by cracks. The right side of the rock consists of larger particles indicating that they were deposited by faster moving water than the smaller particles on the left side.
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The adult black cherry tree about 15 feet north of the station marker has bark that looks as if large burnt cornflakes were plastered along the trunk. Commit this bark to memory and you will begin to recognize the many large individuals throughout the park. Black cherry does not grow to such a large size except at Salter Grove because it is a pioneer species that usually dies out as the forest around it matures and reduces light for further growth.
The large sweet cherry about 13 feet south of the marker is a tree that has been naturalized in North America. It is the primary ancestor of the cultivated cherry and has a distinctive bark that is quite different from black cherry. The horizontal lenticels marking its smooth bark promote direct gas exchange between the inner tissues and the atmosphere. From a distance, the prominent lenticels look like rings that encircle the trunk, but not when viewed close up. A number of large individuals have fallen into the low lying valley.