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
23
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
70
%
Shrub Cover
60
%
Field Cover
55
%
Nonvascular Cover
5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
The plot captures a distinctive mixed oak stand that occupies the upper southeast slope and crest of Walker Mountain NW of Big Bend, at elevations below 1150 m. Most of this mountainside is covered by dense oak/heath forests that are heavily dominated by chestnut oak. White oak and northern red oak are prominent in the sampled stand, with some scarlet and chestnut oaks also present. Remarkably, there is excellent oak recruitment in all age-classes and potential oak-replacement species like red maple are relatively unimportant. The understory contains both ericaceous and non-ericaceous trees and shrubs, and herb diversity is much higher than in nearby oak/heath stands.