If you have read the section on escarpment geology you will know that the escarpment itself is a cliff face. This means that there is no soil, doesn't it?

Generally that is true, but in the cracks in the rock there are soil pockets where plants can grow, though they must be able to adapt to living in small amounts of soil that is different from most soils in our area because of its nearness to the rock itself.

The Limestone and Dolostone that make up the escarpment are very alkaline. Alkalinity is the opposite of acidity (some examples of common acidic things are vinegar and orange juice). Soils are made acidic when they lie over rock that is acidic when it breaks down (granite, for example), or when a lot of organic material is added to it. Forest soils are slightly acidic because there is always a lot of leaf litter and other organic material in it. Alkaline soil then, is very different from typical forest soil. This is one reason that there are plants on the escarpment face that occur nowhere else in our area. Even soils on the top of the ridge along the escarpment are more alkaline than those around them. Again, this means that unique species can be found there that are adapted to these conditions.

The other factor that contributes to the uniqueness of the escarpment and ridge habitat is the influence of climate. Along this landform there are both exposed areas that are subject to wind and precipitation without any protection, and crevices in a forested landscape that are very sheltered indeed. This makes the habitat along the escarpment very diverse, and the flora is likewise diverse and varied.

It is important to note that because the escarpment is raised up above the surrounding landscape, it can also be noticeably cooler in general both because of altitude and because of exposure to wind. People who have gardens on top of the ridge have to consider this when they plant, because they are often a garden temperature zone cooler then they might think.