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
16
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
80
%
Field Cover
55
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
This plot was located on a broad, nearly flat saddle along the ridge crest between Lone Pine Peak and Potts Mountain. The forest is dominated by northern red oak but contrasts sharply with the red oak stands on the slopes of Lone Pine Peak (plot JBNF024), which have a strongly "northern" flavor with spruce and hemlock associates. Here, the habitat appears drier, possibly because of shallow bedrock, and the understory has high density and diversity of ericaceous shrubs. Extensive regeneration of oak species (red, white, and black) is also present in the herb and shrub layers, along with numerous small chestnut sprouts. The stunted and gnarled canopy consists of mixed age classes. The lichen Lobaria pulmonaria, usually indicative of older forests and good air quality, is common on the trunks of the dominant oaks.
