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:
Shrub Height
5
m
Field Height
1
m
Shrub Cover
6
%
Field Cover
80
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
The permanent stakes installed for this plot in 2005 were relocated and the quadrat was re-sampled. Vegetation composition was dramatically different from that in 2005, when Eleocharis acicularis formed a nearly continuous turf, and Agrostis perennans and Eleocharis melanocarpa formed local dominance patches. With the exception of a few individuals of Eleocharis acicularis, these species were not found on the 2011 survey date, and the low herbaceous vegetation was strongly dominated by Trichostema dichotomum and Stachys hyssopifolia, which both had insignificant cover in 2005 . In addition, Andropogon virginicus var. virginicus, which was not recorded in 2005, had 5-10% cover over the plot. The perennials Helenium virginicum, Eleocharis palustris, and Rhexia mariana had very similar distribution and cover in both years, although the 2005 Helenium population consisted mostly of rosettes and the 2011 population mostly of fruiting individuals. Among low-cover associates, there were 10 taxa recorded in 2005 that were not found in 2011, and five taxa recorded in 2011 that were not found in 2005. Overall species-richness in 2011 (n = 17) was slightly less than in 2005 (n = 23). Some, but not all, of these differences may be the result of differing hydrological conditions in the two years, i.e., in 2011, the pond drew down much earlier than in 2005 and vegetation had developed for a longer period .
