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
4
m
Field Height
1
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
2
%
Field Cover
55
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Site is a high, shallow swale about 35 meters from the main channel of the Blackwater River. The floodplain is narrowing rapidly here, as it begins to "pinch" against a subtending sandhill to the southwest. Deeper swales in this area support Taxodium - Nyssa aquatica swamps; the sample site is higher and less deeply flooded, probably mainly during the winter and early spring. Vegetation is a tall forest co-dominated by Carya aquatica, Quercus lyrata, and Taxodium distichum, with other hardwoods occurring occasionally. Stand age was estimated by International Paper to be 97 years. Taxodium knees here are < 30 cm tall. The shrub layer is very sparse and the herb flora is patchily dominated by Carex intumescens, Leersia lenticularis, and other graminoids. NOTE: the fern Pleopeltis polypodioides ssp. michauxiana was recorded in the herb layer but actually occurred on branches of Carya aquatica 10-20 m above the ground.
0-1 cm: litter (uneven across plot)
1-20 cm: medium brown sandy loam with a little silt
20+ cm: light tan sandy clay loam with orange mottles
Soil dry at time of survey; some moisture at > 10 cm below surface.