If an antler is not consumed, it slowly deteriorates under heat and leaching rain. The woodlands of the New River Gorge are dominated by deciduous trees like oak and maple. By the end of October these trees have lost their leaves and the mountainsides look gray and exposed. A plant's food production takes place in its leaves and uses a large amount of water. To plants, winter is a time of drought.
Water is frozen in the ground or crystallized above it as snow.
To survive these harsh conditions, many plants shed their leaves and the hills look as colorless as a black and white photo. But here and there as you gaze across the mountains you will see a patch of green. As you walk the trails, push aside the fallen leaves or snow and you will find many plants that provide some winter greenery. Conifers have adapted to the harsh conditions of winter by replacing broad leaves with needles, a form of modified leaves. They are small and round to limit surface area, with a waxy coating to reduce evaporation.