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
19
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
2
m
Tree Cover
85
%
Shrub Cover
80
%
Field Cover
40
%
Nonvascular Cover
40
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
A steep, bouldery, northern hardwood stand on a NE-facing, concave slope below the summit of Reddish Knob. On this high (4260 ft), northerly slope, vegetation is subject to chronic disturbances from wind and ice, resulting in a scrubby, rather open-canopy stand. Downslope in the ravine-head, the trees are larger, but extremely treacherous footing and dense shrubs precluded sampling there. Because of the density, a narrow plot configuration (13.33 x 30 m) was used, along a trail, which was utilized as the long-dimension centerline, providing easier access to the vegetation for 6.67 m on either side.
No profile development. Soil consists of limited intersticial deposits of organic-rich colluvium between boulders. There is little accessible soil at the ground surface, and it was extremely difficult to extract.
