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
6
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
70
%
Shrub Cover
50
%
Field Cover
35
%
Nonvascular Cover
1
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot positioned in the least disturbed section of narrow floodplain along Green Branch, a second-order stream in the Blue Ridge foothills of Patrick County. The plot captures an area with larger and more diverse trees that the rest of the floodplain, which is impacted by a road crossing upstream and the upstream end of the Fairy Stone Lake impoundment downstream. Most of the plot is on a moderately well-drained to well-drained terrace elevated above the stream channel and with deep alluvial soil; some depressions and hollows are present near the upland edge, formed when the main channel overflows its banks (or perhaps more frequently from back-up flooding from the Lake). Several dead or fallen pines (Pinus strobus?) in area. The vegetation has an open canopy dominated by arge Platanus occidentalis with an understory of Carpinus caroliniana, Cercis canadensis, and Asimina triloba and many medium-sized grapevines reaching into the undestory and overstory. Although not particularly lush, the overall vegetation is exceptionally species-rich, with 108 taxa recorded in the 400 square meter sample.