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
3
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
70
%
Shrub Cover
60
%
Field Cover
0.5
%
Nonvascular Cover
2
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
This site is a forested, steep, west-facing ravine slope at the west end of Horsehead Cliffs on the Potomac River at Westmoreland State Park. The forest is generally mature and oak-dominated, with a dense understory of mountain-laurel (Kalmia latifolia) and, in some places, American holly (Ilex opaca). The plot sample represents the variant of this forest typical of concavities on the slope, where American beech (Fagus grandifolia) is more common in the stand, along with red oak (Quercus rubra) and chestnut oak (Q. montana). The heavy shade of the evergreen understory and extremely nutrient-poor sandy soils combine to make conditions intolerable for most herbaceous plants.
