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
28
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
2
m
Tree Cover
85
%
Shrub Cover
50
%
Field Cover
35
%
Nonvascular Cover
3
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot positioned in the back part of the Dragon Swamp bottomland, south and west of Ware's Bridge on Rt 682. The forest here is a fairly mature stand of Nyssa biflora, Acer rubrum, and Fraxinus pennsylvanica, with scattered Nyssa that are impressively large. The ground surface has pronounced hummock and hollow microtopography with depressions and small channels that hold water for part of the year. Toward the main channel of Dragon Swamp, the bottom becomes wetter, with increasing numbers of Taxodium distichum and a very dense understory due to large canopy gaps caused by beaver-killed trees.