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: Forested peat "island" between the Northwest River and its major branch, 0.7 miles NW of Rt. 168 bridge near Northwest. Plot center marked with a 1" white PVC pipe.
Very strong hummock and hollow micropotgraphy:(up to 50cm) hummock/hollow differential.
Nutrient Regime: Oligotrophic.
The location of this plot is presumed to be either slightly elevated above the level of surrounding river swamps and/or isolated from fluvial processes for a long enough time to allow significant deposition of course, oligotrophic peat. The habitat is rarely, if ever, subject to wind-tidal or overland flooding, and is characterized by highly undecomposed, root-rich peat and Sphagnum moss cover. The vegetation is a pond pine (Pinus serotina) woodland similar to that in the Great Dismal Swamp. Normally, this community type is strongly associated with frequently burned peatlands, but the fire history of this stand is unknown. In any case, the stand appears to be rather well protected from frequent fire by very wet surroundings. It may have originated from a rare catastrophic fire about 60-70 years ago, and nearly reached a closed canopy condition until recent outbreak of Southern Pine Beetle killed many of the canopy pines.
Logging presumed because largest tree diameter=43.5cm. However, stand may have originated from a fire 60-70 years ago, or may represent overgrown pocosin.
