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
26
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
7
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
55
%
Field Cover
90
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot documents a successional floodplain forest along Big Otter Creek in the foothills of Bedford County. The site is at the back edge of the floodplain, most of which is still in open fields and shrubby successional vegetation. The forested plot area was once part of the field complex, as indicated by the scattered, open-grown trees in the stand (not in plot), the dominance of even-aged green ash and red maple, and the persistence of old field species such as persimmon. The habitat contains a mixture of well-drained elevated terraces, seasonally wet depressions, and a small stream channel. The shrub layer is tall and moderately dense, with dominance by spicebush and paw-paw. Not all trees were fully leafed out on the sampling date. Despite past disturbances, weedy non-native herbs were surprisingly low in cover, although Microstegium vimineum appears to be rapidly increasing in the area.
This plot is permanently monumented to enable long-term monitoring and re-sampling; see original plot form for diagram. A red maple at the NW corner of the plot was marked with a tree tag (#457) and the four corners are marked with rebar stakes painted white on top. The plot line bearings are E95 and N5 degrees.
0-1 cm: muck/leaf litter
1-10+ cm: medium-brown silty clay with orange mottling
elevated areas away from the small stream channel are better drained and mottling is > 10 cm deep.
