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
26
m
Shrub Height
5
m
Field Height
1
m
Tree Cover
95
%
Shrub Cover
20
%
Field Cover
20
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot captures a larger-statured, more mesophytic version of the oak-hickory forest sampled in GDNF011, which is located on a steeper slope 0.65 km to the southwest. The sampled stand is situated in a slightly concave saddle at the head of a ravine. It is likely that this site has a history of livestock grazing many decades ago. Large, partly open-grown white oaks are present and predate most of the other trees. Oak recruitment is virtually absent from this stand and recruitment of red hickory and red maple completely co-dominate the understory. The herb layer has abnormally low cover and contains many stunted vegetative forbs because of very heavy deer herbivory.