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
12
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
25
m
Tree Cover
60
%
Shrub Cover
85
%
Field Cover
40
%
Nonvascular Cover
1
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot located on a sharply convex, west- to northwest-facing ridge spurs on the west slope of the Iron Mountains range, and within a 21 ha (52 ac) stand of xerophytic pine-oak/heath woodland. Underlying bedrock is sandstone and quartzite of the Erwin and Hampton Formations, and soils are extremely acidic and infertile. The habitat is generally xeric, fire prone, and recently burned. It is not known whether this fire resulted from natural causes or a Forest Service prescribed burn, but the latter seems more likely. The vegetation is an open, stunted forest or woodland dominated by 10-12 m tall Pinus pungens, the higher-elevations of which burned fairly recently and have excellent recruitment of Pinus pungens in the understory. Pinus rigida may also be present in the stand, but not in the plot. The stand has minor associates of Quercus montana, Quercus coccinea, Quercus rubra, and Nyssa sylvatica. Acer rubrum is also present in the understory but suffered heavy mortality in the areas that burned. The shrub layer is dominated by an ericaceous complex of Kalmia latifolia, Leucothoe recurva, Gaylussacia baccata, Vaccinium pallidum, and Vaccinium stamineum. Scattered herbs recorded in and around the plot included Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum, Gaultheria procumbens, Epigaea repens, Aureolaria laevigata, and Uvularia puberula.
