Elevation, soil conditions, moisture or dryness, and exposure to wind and sun all play roles in determining the location of life zones.
Botanists usually identify the forests by the kinds of trees that predominate.
Cove hardwood forest Below 4,500 feet, deciduous trees cover sheltered slopes and extend into low-elevation coves and valleys. Trees of record or near record size are common. Typical trees include yellow buckeye, basswood, yellow poplar, mountain silverbell, white ash, sugar maple, yellow birch, and black cherry. Rhododendrons and lady's slippers are common flowering plants. You can see cove hardwood forests on the Cove Hardwood Nature Trail at the Chimney Tops picnic area, Albright Grove near the Cosby entrance, and along the Ramsay Cascades and Porters Flat trails near the Greenbrier entrance.