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
31
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
85
%
Shrub Cover
25
%
Field Cover
20
%
Nonvascular Cover
4
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Resample of 13-year old permanent plot. Corners are now monumented with rebar stakes painted light blue.
An apparent discrepency between the boundaries of the 2001 and 2014 samples resulted in some differences in tree composition that make it difficult to compare changes in density and basal area. However, there do not appear to be any disturbance related changes in the woody vegetation, and the trees sampled in 2001 have grown considerably larger. However, very heavy deer herbivory has clearly impacted the shrub and herb layers in the plot. The many shrubs of Quercus montana noted in 2001 have been eliminated, and the cover of Vaccinium pallidum and Vaccinium stamineum have been reduced from >5% each in 2001 to <2% and <1%, respectively in the present sample. In addition, several herbaceous species and trees that occurred as seedlings have been extirpated, contributing to an overall reduction of species richness from 33 to 25 taxa.
