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
31
m
Shrub Height
5
m
Field Height
8
m
Tree Cover
95
%
Shrub Cover
10
%
Field Cover
70
%
Nonvascular Cover
15
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Dry-mesic oak-hickory / mixed hardwood forest with fairly lush herb layer and notably high species richness. Site is a steep, SE-facing slope below an escarpment of low, limestone ledges. Soil is a strongly calcareous, blackish loam. The lower edge of a 20-25-year old clearcut is located just above the ledges. The sampled stand is considerably older and contains scattered large trees. White pine saplings have become established in the understory but now appear to be growing poorly and are suffering from branch and crown die-back.
0-1 cm: leaf litter
1+ cm: brown to blackish loam, very stony, somewhat variable within plot
Disturbance Data:
Disturbance Type
Disturbance Intensity
Disturbance Comment
unknown
Dogwood snags in and around plot. Two wind-throws and small gaps in plot. Road at base of slope ca. 50 m from plot. Very minor exotics (Cardamine hirsuta).