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
3
m
Field Height
3
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
20
%
Field Cover
17
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
The plot is on a steep, northeast-facing ravine slope on a pronounced Piedmont ridge in Bedford County. Most of this ridge has acidic soils and acid-loving forest vegetation, but the plot is situated close to a small diabase dike mapped by the presence of float in a detailed geological study of the Claytor Center property. Mixed influences of basic and acidic bedrock on soils of the slope may be reflected in the presence of both somewhat nutrient-demanding species such as Adiantum pedatum, Actaea racemosa, Cercis canadensis, and Uvularia perfoliata, and acidophiles such as Oxydendrum arboreum, Nyssa sylvatica, and Rhododendron periclymenoides. Overall, the forest is a fairly mature oak-hickory-tuliptree stand that regenerated following logging quite some time ago. The understory and shrub layer are quite open, and the herb layer, although quite species-rich, has been compromised by heavy deer herbivory, reducing the cover of most species. Seedlings of Cornus florida are abundant in the herb layer.
This plot is permanently monumented to enable long-term monitoring and re-sampling; see original plot form for diagram. Two trees are marked with tree tags: a 50 cm DBH white oak (tag #458) located 1.6 meters SE of the SW corner of the plot; and a 43 cm tuliptree (tag #468) located just south of the NW corner. Each corner is marked with a rebar stake painted white on top.