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
40
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
1
m
Tree Cover
70
%
Shrub Cover
10
%
Field Cover
70
%
Nonvascular Cover
0
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
This site, on an alluvial flat along at the mouth of a narrow ravine along Owl Hollow, supports the only intact floodplain forest found along this drainage. The alluvial forest here abruptly grades into Tidal Freshwater Marsh in the adjacent, central part of the drainage, while downstream, the flanking forests are also tidal. Upstream, formerly extensive floodplain forests have been destroyed or greatly altered by beavers. Soils of this flat appear to be only moderately well drained or somewhat poorly drained due to an underlying hard clay subsoil at 20-30 cm. The forest is fairly species-rich contains a mixture of mesophytes and typical floodplain plants. Platanus occidentalis, Liriodendron tulipifera, Liquidambar styraciflua, Fraxinus pennsylvanica, and Acer rubrum form the overstory. The shrub layer is rather sparse. Ferns contribute to majority of herb layer cover.