Round Top Heritage Area

Round Top Heritage Area. Western Maryland Rail Trail. , Round Top Hill is ecologically sensitive due to its unique geology and topography. These characteristics have resulted in the formation of unique natural habitats (often referred to as natural communities which support a variety of unusual plants and animals. Some of the plants and animals found at Round Top are quite rare in the region, and a number of them are considered threatened or endangered in Maryland., Some of the special habitats that occur here include limestone glades (natural openings similar to small prairies), limestone forest, shale cliffs and caves., Precipitation at Round Top evaporates quickly from the dry soils or percolates deeply into the fractured rock forming caverns as the limestone is dissolved. Within the caves, some of which were enlarged by limestone mining, are several distinct animal communities. Various species of bats make their homes here and strange eyeless, unpigmented crustaceans and flatworms have been found in the dark cave pools.