releve 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
400
m²
Plot Quality Fields:
Plot Validation Level
(2) classification plot: sufficient for inclusion in a classification revision
Overall Plot Vegetation Fields:
Tree Height
30
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
1
m
Tree Cover
90
%
Shrub Cover
20
%
Field Cover
90
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
This gentle limestone upland supports a rich oak-hickory forest dominated by variable combinations of Quercus alba, Q. muhlenbergii, Q. rubra, Carya spp., and Fraxinus americana. It has a long history of grazing and cutting, and invasive exotics are now a major problem in most areas. The plot was placed in the least disturbed and most diverse portion of the forest. With the exception of Lonicera japonica, which covers 5-10% of the area, exotics are minimal and native species richness is high. Similar oak-hickory forests were probably once widespread in the Central Appalachian limestone valleys but have been extensively destroyed and disturbed by agriculture.