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
25
m
Shrub Height
3
m
Field Height
1
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
80
%
Field Cover
90
%
Nonvascular Cover
4
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
The plot was placed to capture a thin strip of remnant swamp forest located between beaver-influenced shrub swamps along Dragon Swamp and uplands with pine plantations. The stand is at the back edge of the bottomland and its hydrology appears to be a hybrid of the saturated and seasonally flooded classes. It is dominated by Nyssa biflora and Acer rubrum, and characterized by exceedingly dense shrub, vine, and herbaceous vegetation consisting primarily of acidophiles. Patches of sphagnum are present on slight hummocks and other mosses cover fallen logs.
0-3 cm: leaf litter
3-10+ cm: variable thickness of root mat with OM
~10-20 cm: silty much
20+ cm: sandy muck
Soil notes: Sphagnum patches on soil surface; water at 5 cm: difficult to collect sample.
Disturbance Data:
Disturbance Type
Disturbance Intensity
Disturbance Comment
unknown
Relatively young stand with even-aged overstory, logged some decades ago; a few larger trees were selectively removed more recently. Extensive beaver activity nearby along the main Dragon Swamp channel. Large pine snag in plot.