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
29
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
8
m
Tree Cover
70
%
Shrub Cover
20
%
Field Cover
40
%
Nonvascular Cover
2
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
The plot is located on a 500 Forest Foundation easement, and was monumented to facilitate resampling in the future. A PVC pipe marks the center of the upslope centerline; see sketch on original field form. This rocky forest is located on a dry, convex slope on the opposite side of the Mill Creek hollow from MONT018. The vegetation is entirely different from that in MONT018, consisting of a dry, open forest with only a moderate cover of herbs but a total flora of more than 100 species. A large blowdown in the center of the plot has created a sizeable canopy gap and possibly stimulated some of the herbaceous diversity. The composition of this plot differs considerably from MONT016, which is located downstream in a similar setting/habitat. Most notably, it lacks Quercus muehlenbergii (dominant in MONT016) and may be located on a substrate other than the mapped Elbrook dolomite.