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
34
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
6
m
Tree Cover
90
%
Shrub Cover
50
%
Field Cover
80
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot located in a broad and extensive floodplain along the Hyco River, ca. 280 meters southeast of the US 501 bridge. The microtopography is slightly uneven with shallow depressions; soils have a high percentage of clay content and appear to be only moderately well drained. This sample captures an even-aged but quite diverse alluvial forest with trees up to 60-70 cm. Liquidambar styraciflua dominates, but the overstory and understory are quite mixed. The herb layer contains a mixture of typical floodplain plants and nutrient-demanding species, including some spring ephemerals. The plot is representative of most of the floodplain, except for a narrow sandy levee by the river (supporting species of richer, better-drained soils) and a series of narrow sloughs at the back edge that are dominated by Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Cephalanthus, and various hydrophytic herbs.
