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
30
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
0
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
50
%
Field Cover
80
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot is located on a convex but fairly mesic, north-facing slope, and supports rich a rich oak-hickory forest with abundant recruitment of young sugar maple. Soils have extraordinarily high calcium and magnesium levels, and underlying bedrock is likely dolomite or dolomitic limestone. Quercus muhlenbergii and Carya cordiformis are the most important overstory trees, with scattered Fraxinus americana, Tilia americana var. heterophylla, and Juglans nigra also present. Acer saccharum overwhelmingly dominates the understory. The herb layer is lush and diverse with nutrient-demanding forbs, most notably Jeffersonia diphylla, Cimicifuga racemosa, and Hydrastis canadensis. This stand does not have appear to have been logged in many decades, although a few red-cedar trees have bee removed from the understory.
