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:
--no data--
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot location: Swamp between Princess Anne Road and North Landing River, 0.5 miles SW of Creeds School. Plot center marked by a 1" white PVC pipe.
Hummock and hollow microtopography.
The Chamaecyparis thyoides- dominated forest here was evidently thinned during past logging, and appears to be in a state of decline due to a lack of regeneration. Extremely impressive specimens of Magnolia virginiana (up to 10-15+ meters tall and 47 cm DBH) are dominant in the subcanopy tree strata. Although the overall habitat is rarely flooded, a small channel which barely enters the plot represents the extreme limits of regular wind-tidal influence. Several herbaceous species exclusively associated with this channel (Hydrocotyle verticillata, Polygonum punctatum, Mikania scandens, Decumaria barbara, Peltandra virginica, and Boehmeria cylindrica) are typical Chamaecyparis communities and can be considered insignificant "spillovers" for the purposes of compositional analysis.
Nutrient Regime: oligotrophic.
Sample from a hummock.
0-2cm - Litter
2-10cm - Grayish-brown, fibrous peat with undecomposed material.
Soil in hollow bottoms with a 5+cm surface layer of brown, moderately well decomposed, +/- mucky peat.