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
32
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
20
%
Field Cover
25
%
Nonvascular Cover
1
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot documents somewhat enigmatic forest vegetation that covers a significant area on the steep lower slopes of Brush Mountain along Trout Creek. This site has evidently deep, colluvial soils that are fully base-saturated, with high calcium and magnesium levels, and extraordinarily high manganese content. This forest is fairly young, with a diverse and variable mixture of trees, including Liriodendron tulipifera, Quercus rubra, Acer saccharum, A. rubrum, Carya ovata, C. glabra, Quercus montana, Betula lenta, and Pinus strobus. The herb layer is somewhat rich but difficult to assess because of abnormally low cover, the probable result of long-term, heavy deer herbivory. The largest trees in the stand are Liriodendron and Quercus spp., recruitment of which is nearly absent, and successional trends appear toward increasing co-dominance of Acer spp. and Carya spp.
