High Elevation Rocky Summit

High Elevation Rocky Summits consist of flat to vertical outcrops of fractured rock on ridge tops, upper to mid slopes, or other topographically exposed settings, at high elevations, generally above 4000 feet. They are distinguished from forests, shrub balds, and grass balds by having sparse to moderate herbaceous vegetation cover interspersed with extensive, fractured, bare rock. Patches of shrub cover are generally present on edges or in pockets of deep soil, but sizeable areas of shrub dominance should be considered Heath Balds. High Elevation Rocky Summits are distinguished from High Elevation Granitic Domes by having abundant fractured rock, in contrast to the largely smooth bedrock of the domes.