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
1000
m²
Plot Quality Fields:
Plot Validation Level
(2) classification plot: sufficient for inclusion in a classification revision
Overall Plot Vegetation Fields:
Tree Height
33
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
1
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
70
%
Field Cover
80
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Along with plots GFNP055 and GFNP056, this plot was sampled to explore the relationship between vegetation above Great Falls on the Virginia side of the Potomac River with enigmatic vegetation documented by Chris Lea at a similar topographic position on the Maryland side. The three plots capture a habitat and vegetation gradient, from the upstream end of an "island" formed by the river, an old canal, and Mine Run to the downstream end just above the falls. The topography in this area transitions from a well-drained floodplain to the bedrock terrace that develops as the river drops precipitously through the falls. The habitat in this plot is at the "floodplain" end of the gradient, and the vegetation is transitional between a rich, well-drained floodplain forest and a mesic upland forest. Floristic diversity is high, the overstory is diverse, and patch-dominance varies over small spatial scales. Therefore a 1000 sq. m. releve was sampled to ensure that the range of variation in the stand was captured.
0 - 1 cm: leaf litter, duff
1+ cm: yellow-brown silt loam
Composite sample collected from three locations.
Disturbance Data:
Disturbance Type
Disturbance Intensity
Disturbance Comment
unknown
Although exotics (especially Microstegium) are bad in this plot, they are much worse in adjacent parts of the stand. Plot is located near an old canal dug by George Washington to bypass the falls.
