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:
Tree Cover
50
%
Shrub Cover
30
%
Field Cover
70
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
This site is very similar floristically to other narrow perennial stream bottoms in the shale country (e.g., the importance of Pinus strobus and Quercus alba), but is at the most fertile end of the spectrum of that community and is marked by the prevalence of Aesculus flava and especially high species richness. As is suspected about nearby shale barrens, an important factor here may be a calcareous element in the Braillier Formation, in addition to the colluvial and the soil water movement and overland flows which enrich bottoms generally. This plot has the highest number of species of any plot is the Peters Mountain study area, and, as of the end of 1995, the highest species count (127), of any releve (400 sq. m.) of the 500+ in the Virginia Natural Heritage database. The high species richness mainly reflects a diverse herb layer. Salient casual factors are the relatively high fertility, the variety of moisture regimes created by small differences in elevation with respect to the stream and the streamside water table and variety of light levels created by frequent undercutting and felling of trees by freshets and channel meandering.
Plot located ca. 1.2 km southwest of Blue Spring Run, in valley of small perennial tributary to Potts Creek.