At higher elevations, one would encounter different forest assemblages along the mountain ridges and slopes and, if rivers were encountered, still different plant assemblages. At an elevation of approximately 3,000 feet, one would find stands of pines, and upward 1,000 feet more, one would enter hemlock and heath communities. Both are unique. From a canopy standpoint, cove forests are the richest woodlands in the country, containing more than 30 species of trees that uniformly reach the sunlight. In mature forests throughout the world, stratification occurs, that is, plants survive at different levels in the forest.
Dominant plants form the canopy.
The subtending vegetation must be able to reproduce and thrive in the shade of these dominant species. In the southern Appalachians, however, occurs a plant community known as a cove hardwood forest, where a great diversity of tree species comprise the canopy. Cove forest communities might support as many as 30 species of canopy trees with a great variety of shrubs and wildflowers in the understory, making it the most diverse forest type in all of North America. They plan to open a larger retail store near the Asheville area, but for now, they have dived into the world of the 'net. They are a very nice young couple.