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
33
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
75
m
Tree Cover
75
%
Shrub Cover
25
%
Field Cover
50
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
This plot is representative of bottomland forest occupying a slightly elevated floodplain terrace by the Blackwater River. This habitat is probably flooded for much of the winter and spring, but exposed during most of the growing season. Away from the river it grades to an even higher terrace with very well-drained, temporarily flooded forest vegetation. The plot contains a fairly diverse forest of hydrophytic oaks (Quercus laurifolia, Q. lyrata), Carya aquatica, Acer rubrum, and some Taxodium distichum, with tree diameters generally ranging from 60 to 100 cm. The vegetation is "savanna-like" with very open understory and shrub strata. and a moderately dense graminoid-dominated herb stratum. Leersia lenticularis and sedges (particularly Carex typhina, C. intumescens, C. louisianica) are prevalent in the latter.
