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
28
m
Shrub Height
5
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
85
%
Shrub Cover
30
%
Field Cover
4
%
Nonvascular Cover
2
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
This plot is representative of the southern portion of pond S105-13, which is less deeply flooded than the open portion located just to the north (see plot GRAF205). This pond was not studied or plot-sampled during Rawinski's 1995-96 study of the Grafton Ponds. The habitat supports a seasonally flooded forest with an overstory dominated by medium-sized, ~ even-aged Nyssa biflora. Excellent recruitment of this species is also present in the understory. Water marks on trees are approximately 20-25 cm above the pond bottom at the lowest point of the plot, and many trees and shrubs occupy low but pronounced hummocks. The vegetation is floristically depauperate, with only 15 species present in the 400 square meter sample. Note: the high-bush Vaccinium in this plot has sparse, whitish pubescence and keys to V. corybosum. However, it may represent the widespread hybrid between V. formosum and V. fuscatum.
0-4 cm: leaf litter
4-9 cm: coarse organic matter / fine roots
9-12 cm: organic-rich clay loam / large roots
12+ cm: dark brown clay loam / large roots
organic matter very deep in center of depression; samples collected from edge.
Disturbance Data:
Disturbance Type
Disturbance Intensity
Disturbance Comment
unknown
Heavy deer herbivory on Leucothoe racemosa and Vaccinium corymbosum
