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
6
m
Field Height
9
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
60
%
Field Cover
90
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
The eastern end and higher, southern side of Buggs Island is vegetated with a well-drained bottomland forest that is quite rich and varied, although weedy from past disturbance and alluvial inputs. The sampled stand is fairly typical of the area but lacks Acer floridanum, which is common in a few areas. The overstory has mixed dominance by Carya cordiformis, Celtis occidentalis, Juglan nigra, and Liriodendron tulipifera, with scattered Ulmus americana, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Fraxinis pennsylvanica. Asimina triloba and Lindera benzoin form a thick shrub layer in many places, but are replaced by dense growths of Arundinaria tecta at the east end of the island. Invasive exotics, including Lonicera japonica, Ligustrum sinense, and Stellaria meadia, are major problems, but the forest still has ample representation of native herbs, including Elymus macgregorii (patch-dominant), Trillium sessile (patch-dominant), Nemophila aphylla (patch-dominant), Viola pubescens, Asarum canadense, Arisaema dracontium, etc.
