Intensive Virginia Division of Natural Heritage, see http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/documents/nh_plotform_instructions.pdf
Overall Taxon Cover Values are Automatically Calculated?
no
Stem Observation Area
1000
m²
Plot Quality Fields:
Plot Validation Level
(2) classification plot: sufficient for inclusion in a classification revision
Overall Plot Vegetation Fields:
Tree Height
22
m
Shrub Height
3
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
50
%
Shrub Cover
25
%
Field Cover
89
%
Nonvascular Cover
1
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Open woodland along bottom of gentle ravine; diversity is remarkably high despite herb-layer dominance by Sanicula odorata. Canopy is multi-layered and fairly open; although leaf expansion is not yet complete, vegetation is clearly a woodland. Some crown damage, both to saplings and overstory oaks, is evident. Extensive mortality of Cornus florida has occurred. Very few exotics are present. The natural roles of fire and grazing (vs. edaphic stress and shallow soils) in maintaining open understory and high species richness are uncertain. Plot may be ephemerally flooded following heavy rain, but site is best considered terrestrial. Minor stream rivulets are present, and drainage throughout plot empties into small cavity just below modules 1 and 10. This cavity likely formed from a tree tipup pit and may have been enlarged by subsequent erosion and subsidence. This plot yields the second highest richness yet recorded in Virginia - 116 taxa.
From NAP boundary corner: 21.2 m @ 203 deg to stake A. Large Ulmus rubra (104 cm dbh) located in module 10.
