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
30
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
75
m
Tree Cover
85
%
Shrub Cover
90
%
Field Cover
90
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot is located on a narrow floodplain ca. 50 m wide and was sampled before full leaf-out (cover was estimated as if trees and shrubs were in full foliage). This site is one of the least disturbed seen along the James River floodplain in this area, with some fairly large trees and relatively high cover of indigenous, nutrient-demanding herbs. Once fully leafed, the shrub and small-tree layers of the forest will have dense cover due to the abundance of paw-paw. Seedlings of box-elder were abundant in the herb layer on the date of sampling. The spring herbaceous aspect was dominated by Podophyllum peltatum and several spring ephemerals.