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
1000
m²
Plot Quality Fields:
Plot Validation Level
(2) classification plot: sufficient for inclusion in a classification revision
Overall Plot Vegetation Fields:
Tree Height
35
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
2
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
30
%
Field Cover
65
%
Nonvascular Cover
0
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot captures a deciduous tidal forest about 50 meters from the main channel of the James River, at the mouth of a short tributary stream. Several large Taxodium distichum grow on the margins of the swamp, near the base of the slope, with little regeneration within the swamp. Over most of the area, the canopy and subcanopy are dominated by Fraxinus pensylvanica, Acer rubrum, and Nyssa biflora. The shrub stratum is rather open, with saplings of the canopy species and Lindera benzoin common. Carex bromoides dominates on elevated hummocks, while depressions have bare muck with moderately dense coverage by hydrophytic plants.
Temporary pink flags (6) were left, marking the corners, and the endpoints of a midline on the short axis of a 20 x 50 meter quadrat.