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 Cover
90
%
Nonvascular Cover
3
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
The habitat is part of Virginia's only southern Appalachian "grassy bald," which is restricted to the upper south flank of Whitetop Mountain. Large portions of this bald contain weedy exotics and have probably resulted from clearing, grazing and anthropologic disturbances associated with a historical resort development. However, on the convexly sloping spur between the Whitetop summit area and Buzzard Rock, shallow substrates may have always favored the persistence of non-forested vegetation. The plot is representative of the drier extreme of less disturbed grasslands on the Whitetop bald. Here, composition is dominated by the state-rare, northern species Sibbaldiopsis tridentata, along with Danthonia compressa and Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Lysimachia quadrifolia and several sedges. Few exotics occur in this zone.
Plot located on the southern slope of Whitetop Mountain, ca. 0.1 mi southwest of parking area on loop near end of Forest Service road from Rt. 600 to the summit and ca. 0.4 mi ENE of Buzzard Rock.
