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
34
m
Shrub Height
3
m
Field Height
7
m
Tree Cover
85
%
Shrub Cover
20
%
Field Cover
50
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
This site is a slightly elevated floodplain terrace with litter-filled depressions that hold water for much of the year. Vegetation is a dense bottomland hardwood forest with very open shrub layer, but with thickets of Smilax spp. in the herb layer. More open areas are dominated by Leersia lenticularis and sedges. This stand, like many others along the length of Three Creek, contains an abundance of Quercus laurifolia, which is generally uncommon in the Nottoway River drainage. Accumulations of flood debris are evident, and moss-covered fallen logs are also common. This bottomland hardwood stand contains trees up to ca. 80 cm DBH, and is considerably older than a larger stand of coppice-sprouted Nyssa aquatica that occupies a low backswamp to the east.