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
5
m
Field Height
2
m
Tree Cover
70
%
Shrub Cover
30
%
Field Cover
85
%
Nonvascular Cover
40
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
The plot captures a sphagnous black gum swamp in a low area at the head of Gap Creek. The headwaters is situated in a gentle valley on the east side of a gap (Scothorn Gap) in one of the parallel, Massanutten Mountain ridges. Although water generally drains to the north and eventually coalesces into a stream, there is no obvious seepage at the sample site, which has some characteristics of a basin wetland. Hydrologic regime is probably saturated by seasonally perched groundwater, with small depressions present that hold water more frequently and for longer periods of time. The forest vegetation has low species-richness and is overwhelmingly dominated by Nyssa sylvatica in the overstory and Osmunda cinnamomea in the herb layer. This forest was formerly larger but beavers occupying a Forest Service wildlife pond have cut many trees in the western part of the stand over the last twenty years.
