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 Cover
70
%
Shrub Cover
30
%
Field Cover
70
%
Nonvascular Cover
5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Secondary northern hardwoods with a lush herbaceous layer. Acer rubrum is more or less dominant in this and similar stands on the higher northern and eastern slopes of Brumley Mountain. Current canopy composition is apparently the result of very heavy or clearcutting of this area 50+ years ago. The herbaceous layer is extremely lush and quite diverse, having apparently recovered fully from past disturbance. A new threat to the compositional integrity of these forests is the introduced forb Alliaria petiolata, which is spreading rapidly from roadsides to the forest interior where suitably fertile soils are present.
Upper north slope of Brumley Mountain, ca. 0.6 mi southeast of Low Gap. Plot located in an upper slope cove just below the main access road that runs SSE from Low Gap.