 The ground cover includes bearberry and teaberry sub-shrubs, lichens and mosses.While the same species are present in the vast surrounding region of the Pine Barrens, dwarf plant size is attributed to drier, nutrient-poor soil, exposure to winds, and frequent wildfires in the area.In the high-altitude Antilles elfin forests reduced solar radiation and low evapotranspiration rates means these mountain regions retain moisture.