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
31
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
90
%
Shrub Cover
35
%
Field Cover
25
%
Nonvascular Cover
2
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
A medium-age mixed oak forest with an understory strongly dominated by mockernut hickory and flowering dogwood. Remarkably, little red maple is present in the stand, and there is a fair amount of oak recruitment. Overall species-richness is quite high despite sparse cover by most herbaceous species, which is likely an artifact of heavy deer grazing.
A few cut stumps (salvage) in stand but not in plot. Dogwoods fairly healthy, but a few snags present in and around plot. Heavy deer herbivory on deciduous ericads and herbs.