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
28
m
Shrub Height
5
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
35
%
Field Cover
25
%
Nonvascular Cover
0
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot documents a small area of medium-age mesic, mixed hardwood forest on a short slope between extensive sandhills and the Antioch Swamp bottomland. Most forests of this type along the this reach of the swamp were cut-over several decades ago, but a few trees were left in this area. The overstory of this stand is fairly diverse, containing Fagus grandifolia, Quercus nigra, Q. falcata, Q. alba, Carya alba, Liriodendron tulipifera, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Pinus taeda. Additional understory and shrub species include Acer rubrum, Asimina parviflora, Carpinus caroliniana, Clethra alnifolia, Cornus florida, Ilex opaca, Nyssa sylvatica, Oxydendrum arboreum, Sassafras albidum, Symplocos tinctoria, and Vaccinium elliottii. True herbs are rather sparse. Since the adjacent, dry sandy uplands are managed by prescribed fire, this stand is susceptible to incidental burning, but is provided some protection by its location on a distinctly more mesic slope that tends to have marginal fuel to carry fire .