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
5
m
Tree Cover
15
%
Shrub Cover
30
%
Field Cover
70
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
A prairie-like, grassy, Juniperus-rich woodland, with a number of shale barren endemics, including federally listed Arabis serotina. The soil has much higher pH and high Ca and Mg compared with species-poor shale woodland plots GJNF317 and GJNF318. The values are slightly higher than the much steeper shale barren plot GJNF325, which suggests the presence and influence of a calcareous element in the Brallier Formation shale bedrock at both sites. This community occurs locally in the highly incised shale lowlands on horizontally and/or vertically convex, moderately steep, mid to lower slopes facing southwest to south without a great deal of exposed bedrock. They grade upslope into a floristically depauperate Pinus virginiana-Quercus montana- Quercus rubra woodland scrub, with a few shale barren endemics (Hieracium traillii, Eriogonum allenii), or without endemics and with high lichen (Cladina) cover, similar to GJNF317, GJNF318 or GJNF351.
Plot located 2.75 km WSW of Blue Spring Run, ca. 100-150 ft upslope on north side of tributary to Cast Steel Run.