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
800
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
Field Height
0
m
Tree Cover
70
%
Field Cover
45
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
The plot is located in a forested swale between two "sandhills" near the Nottoway River. The habitat has characteristics of both a depression wetland and an alluvial bottomland; since the swale drains to the river, it is interpreted as a headwaters bottom. The site is located in a large prescribed burn unit of the Chub Sandhill Natural Area Preserve, and hot fires have burned into it repeatedly. Virtually all shrubs and small trees have been killed, leaving the understory virtually wide open. The ground consists largely of litter and coarse woody debris in a patchwork with graminoid herb patches. Since this habitat has been subjected to frequent fire, herb cover has increased from negligible to very substantial (ca. 45% cover; D. Loomis, pers. comm.). Nyssa biflora (with slightly buttressed bases) and Acer rubrum co-dominate the stand, with a few Taxodium distichum, Quercus spp., and a Pinus taeda also present. Taxodium knees vary from ca. 0.4 m to 1.4 m tall.
The plot is permanently monumented with a metal conduit stake at each corner, to facilitate long-term monitoring and re-sampling.
0-4 cm: leaf litter
4-40+ cm: organic muck / dark gray clay in deepest part of swale, no mottling
Near upland edge: black loam with OM and coarse white sand
Disturbance Data:
Disturbance Type
Disturbance Intensity
Disturbance Comment
unknown
Adjacent to prescribed burn unit; scorch marks on base of trees