Park Lyndon’s rich plant diversity results from geological features created by glacial activity. Soil types and soil moisture vary greatly, with the knobs consisting of dry, sandy or gravelly soils and many kettles existing as wetlands with organic muck or open water. Temperatures also vary considerably in the park, partly because of elevation changes. Some higher south-facing slopes receive substantial sunlight, while nearby shady low areas can act as air sinks that retain cooler temperatures. On a winter day in 1980, the temperature recorded on a sunny hillside near the parking lot was 50 degrees warmer than the temperature recorded from a low wetland area. This diversity of moisture and temperature creates many microclimates in Park Lyndon, allowing plants with very different growth requirements to exist in close proximity to one another. Swamps and other wetlands have soils rich in nutrients and organic matter and provide important habitat for a wide range of unique plants and animals. The wetlands and wetland edge communities north of this location are so diverse that more than 400 species of plants have been documented in the Embury Swamp preserve.