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
15
%
Shrub Cover
50
%
Field Cover
50
%
Nonvascular Cover
15
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
A sandstone "glade" woodland, dominated by short-stature mixture of yellow pines (Pinus pungens, P. virginiana, and P. rigida) with Quercus montana and Q. velutina important as associates. A characteristic community of sloping, sandstone (cf. Tuscarora quartzite) pavement-like outcrops, where erosion has left much rock surface without soil or with thin, sandy and/or duff soils. This plot includes both areas with thin soil coverage and areas with no soil. Herb layer aerial coverage and species richness are much lower in the areas with little soil coverage: the herbs are nearly absent and heaths dominate the local soil and litter accumulations in angles and crevices, which are also where the trees are rooted. Lichens are abundant on the exposed sandstone. Importance of fire in maintaining pine dominance here is not clear. In this study, these pavement woodlands occur locally only on the southeastern dipslope of the main Peters Mt. ridges.
Plot located ca. 2.0 km NNW of Morning Knob and ca. 180 m directly upslope from bench depression shown on USGS topo quad.
+2 - 0 - Oi: leaf and pine needle litter
0 - 2 - Oe (+a?): brown-black, well-decomposed organic matter; very stony; up to 9 cm thick on pavement
2 - 5 - A: gray, fine sandy loam; absent or up to 9 cm thick in places
5 - 21+ - B: yellow-brown, very stony/gravelly loamy fine sand; absent or shallower in places
R: varying in depth from 0-21+ cm; light pinkish-gray sandstone
Disturbance Data:
Disturbance Type
Disturbance Intensity
Disturbance Comment
unknown
Pine mortality in community of unknown cause. Something resembling a white fungus is attacking Pinus virginiana needles.