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
27
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
25
m
Tree Cover
75
%
Shrub Cover
70
%
Field Cover
20
%
Nonvascular Cover
2
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Chestnut oak / heath stand on upper north slope of rocky ridge at Indian Grave Gap. Chestnut oaks here range up to ca. 65 cm DBH and may be quite old. Old stumps indicate past selective cutting, but no evidence of past fires was noted here, and even this xerophytic forest is being invaded by mesophytes like Fagus grandifolia, Magnolia fraseri, and Tsuga canadensis, in addition to the ubiquitous Acer rubrum. The shrub complex includes Kalmia latifolia, Rhododendron maximum, Oxydendrum arboreum, Vaccinium corybosum, V. stamineum, and V. pallidum.