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
29
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
1
m
Tree Cover
75
%
Shrub Cover
40
%
Field Cover
10
%
Nonvascular Cover
1
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
The sampled vegetation is probably the most mature and least disturbed part of a secondary stand of oak-hickory forest on the lower western slope of Woods Mountain in The Nature Conservancy's Fortunes Cove Preserve. Much of the stand outside the plot was heavily invaded by Liriodendron tulipifera, Betula lenta, and various exotics following logging some decades ago. The better portions are co-dominated by variable mixtures of Quercus rubra, Q. montana, Liriodendron, and Carya spp. and have a reasonable complement of native forbs and graminoids in the herb layer. Carya spp. are somewhat under-represented, and confined to the understory, in the plot. The presence of Fraxinus americana, Cercis canadensis, and Muhlenbergia sobolifera, as well as the moderately high species-richness, suggest the influence of somewhat base-saturated soils.
A horizon = reddish-brown sandy-silty loam with many small stones
Disturbance Data:
Disturbance Type
Disturbance Intensity
Disturbance Comment
unknown
The two largest oaks in the plot are stump-sprouted. Ailanthus altissima present in understory of forest outside plot. Heavy deer grazing on herbaceous species.