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
27
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
75
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
15
%
Field Cover
30
%
Nonvascular Cover
1
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
This site is in a wetter portion of an extensive flatwoods within Sandy Bottom Nature Preserve. The habitat is likely shallowly inundated by perched groundwater for part of the year, but is probably best characterized as "saturated." It supports a quite mature forest dominated by hydric oaks up to ca. 90 cm DBH, with associated Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, and Nyssa sylvatica. The plot was situated to capture the diversity of oaks (Quercus laurifolia, Q. michauxii, Q. phellos) in the canopy. The sub-canopy and shrub layers are very open, and clones of Woodwardia virginica, Carex striata var. brevis, and C. joorii form most of the patchy herb layer. Plot HAMP003, just 75 meters to the north, is part of the same stand and very similar, but has Quercus lyrata and a denser understory.