uer ite ▁Valley . ▁It ▁mainly ▁grows ▁on ▁sc ree ▁s lop es ▁made ▁of ▁stones ▁and ▁rocks ▁from ▁the ▁esc arp ment , ▁with ▁scattered ▁areas ▁of ▁gla cial ▁till ▁or ▁soil . ▁The ▁land ▁s lop es ▁ste ep ly ▁and ▁dra ins ▁fast . ▁ ▁Flora ▁ ▁The ▁forest ▁has ▁not ▁suffered ▁from ▁serious ▁natural ▁dist urban ces ▁such ▁as ▁fires , ▁wind ▁storm s ▁or ▁insect ▁inf est ations ▁for ▁a ▁very ▁long ▁time . ▁The ▁b als am ▁fir ▁( Ab ies ▁b als ame a ) ▁trees ▁of ▁the ▁forest ▁have ▁never ▁been ▁dist urbed ▁by ▁human ▁activities , ▁although ▁a ▁few ▁northern ▁white - ced ar ▁( Th u ja ▁occident alis ) ▁have ▁been ▁cut . ▁The ▁forest ▁stands ▁are ▁at ▁least ▁ 2 7 0 ▁to ▁ 2 9 0 ▁years ▁old , ▁and ▁have ▁been ▁able ▁to ▁evol ve ▁naturally . ▁There ▁are ▁sen es cent ▁trees ▁and ▁much ▁wood ▁de br is ▁in ▁different ▁stages ▁of ▁decomposition . ▁There ▁are ▁ced ars ▁almost ▁ 3 0 0 ▁years ▁old ▁with ▁tr unk ▁diam eters ▁of ▁, ▁and ▁eastern ▁white ▁p ine ▁( P inus ▁stro bus ) ▁ 2 5 0 ▁years ▁old ▁with ▁height s ▁of ▁ ▁and ▁tr unks ▁at ▁least ▁ ▁in ▁diameter . ▁Given ▁the ▁high ▁latitude ▁and ▁poor ▁soil ▁conditions , ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁trees ▁is ▁remarkable . ▁ ▁The ▁main ▁stands ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁forest ▁are ▁stands ▁of ▁fir ▁and ▁ced ar , ▁in ▁some