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
17
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
1
m
Tree Cover
65
%
Shrub Cover
20
%
Field Cover
65
%
Nonvascular Cover
10
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
The habitat is on a dry but deep-soiled, upper SE-facing slope of Sinking Creek Mountain, with southeast aspect, at 3240 ft elevation. The Occasional outcrops of Silurian sandstone are present, and soils have a deep organic horizon and a gradual transition from OM to mineral soil, which is complete at ca. 15-20 cm below the surface. Soil chemistry data from sample collected in plot suggests intermediate fertility conditions. Vegetation here is an open, somewhat stunted montane oak - hickory forest with significantly high species richness. Although the dominant canopy trees are not large (40-60 cm DBH, 17-18 m tall), given the dry site conditions, the stand seems fairly mature. TThe overstory is dominated by variable combinations of Quercus montana, Quercus rubra, Quercus alba, Carya ovalis, and Carya glabra. Quercus velutina and Fraxinus americana are minor overstory associates. Younger cohorts of Carya spp. are prevalent in the subcanopy tree layers. In addition to abundant hickory recruitment, the stand has some recruitment of oaks, and lacks mesophytic understory invaders such as red maple that are indicative of oak decline. The shrub layer is open to nearly absent in places; some areas have moderate cover of Ostrya virginiana, Acer pensylvanicum, Crataegus macrosperma, Vaccinium pallidum, Vaccinium stamineum, and Rosa carolina. Graminoids, particularly Carex pensylvanica and Dichanthelium boscii, patch-dominate the herb layer. Small outcrop inclusions with lithophytic species such as Heuchera americana and prairie grasses such as Andropogon gerardii are scattered in the downslope portion of the stand (well outside the plot).
