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 Height
34
m
Shrub Height
5
m
Field Height
1
m
Tree Cover
85
%
Shrub Cover
35
%
Field Cover
40
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot location: steep slopes of ravine just S of James River near Eastover Plantation; just E of main house.
This is a good example of dry, calcareous forest occupying a SE-facing ravine slope with many exposed shell fragments present at the soil surface. Impressive specimens of Quercus muhlenbergii, Q. rubra, and Carya cordiformis form an open canopy; understory and shrub density is moderate, while herb cover is moderate to dense and dominated by graminoids. Several mountain disjuncts occur here, including Tilia americana var. heterophylla, Cornus alternifolia (outside plot), and Senecio obovatus. UPDATE: revisited plot on 2008-04-15. Minimal change in habitat and vegetation over the past seven years, although a number of early-season species were added.
Relatively small population of Lonicera japonica; Prunus avium is a frequent woody exotic. The sampled slope is more stable than the nearby, highly erosive, river-fronting bluffs supporting the same vegetation.