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
Plot Quality Fields:
Plot Validation Level
(2) classification plot: sufficient for inclusion in a classification revision
Overall Plot Vegetation Fields:
Field Height
30
m
Tree Cover
70
%
Shrub Cover
15
%
Field Cover
30
%
Nonvascular Cover
15
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
An old growth forest on large Tuscarora quartzitic sandstone boulder talus. The soil, at least for the shallow rooted plants, consists of deep, well stratified organic duff in the upper interstitial spaces between boulders, and of pads of moss and the underlying thin organic and sandy layer that have developed on wide flat upper surfaces of some of the larger boulders, which provide rooting especially for Polypodium and Scutellaria saxatilis. Under the interstitial duff are interstitial air spaces (to at least about 60 cm). Deeper rooted plants (e.g., the trees) may reach mineral soil. High water holding capacity and CAC of partly decomposed organic matter, lack of leaching by an underlying mineral soil, medium-high elevation, NNW aspect, and more or less flat slope may explain mesic conditions and occurrence of some weak submesotrophic indicator herbs in spite of infertile quartzitic boulder herbs in spite of infertile quartzitic boulder matrix. The calcareous Martinsburg shale that may underlie the Tuscarora boulders does not appear in influence the vegetation.
Plot located ca. 1.5 mi NNW of Morning Knob, ca. 200 ft downhill and ca. 150 ft N50E from plot GJNF003.
Oi: 1-2 cm of Quercus and Betula leaves; 2 cm of brown leaf pieces
Oe: 4-15 cm of brown, root-rich soil
Oa: 1 cm of root-rich, black, dry to moist, crumbly organic matter with a little fine sand; charcoal in places
R