velop ed . ▁ ▁A ▁gy ps y ▁moth ▁inf est ation ▁began ▁on ▁N es cope ck ▁Mountain ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁causing ▁hundreds ▁of ▁trees ▁to ▁be ▁def oli ated . ▁The ▁Bureau ▁of ▁Forest ry ▁expects ▁to ▁begin ▁sp ray ing ▁the ▁area ▁in ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁and ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁Bi ology ▁ ▁N es cope ck ▁Mountain ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁several ▁mountains ▁in ▁Columbia ▁County ▁to ▁contain ▁und ist urbed ▁o ak / m ixed ▁hard wood ▁for ests . ▁This ▁forest ▁is ▁also ▁an ▁App al ach ian ▁Oak ▁Forest . ▁Specific ▁tree ▁species ▁on ▁the ▁r idge ▁in ▁Columbia ▁County ▁include ▁red ▁o ak , ▁ch est nut ▁o ak , ▁scar let ▁o ak , ▁black ▁bir ch , ▁American ▁ch est nut , ▁pitch ▁p ine , ▁red ▁map le , ▁and ▁service berry . ▁Other ▁plants ▁on ▁the ▁r idge ▁include ▁black ▁h uck le berry , ▁low b ush ▁blue berry , ▁mountain ▁la ure l , ▁sheep ' s ▁la ure l , ▁bra cken ▁f ern , ▁wild ▁s ars ap ar illa , ▁and ▁Virginia ▁cre eper . ▁ ▁An ▁e ph em eral / fl uct u ating ▁pool ▁natural ▁community ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Edge wood ▁V ernal ▁P ools ▁is ▁located ▁on ▁and ▁near ▁N es cope ck ▁Mountain . ▁It ▁consists ▁of ▁do z ens ▁of ▁v ernal ▁po ols ▁created ▁by