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
8
m
Tree Cover
90
%
Shrub Cover
75
%
Field Cover
60
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
This plot is more representative of the mesophytic forest vegetation at this site than either of the previous ones. It captures a mature, rich, closed canopy forest with a dense shrub layer and a diverse herb layer, occurring on ultra-calcareous soils weathered from travertine-bearing limestone. The topography is uneven due to past mining in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Mounds, pits, and trenches are evident throughout the area; the plot includes an elevated "island" surrounded by a U-shaped trench/hollow. Some large trees occur here, including an 89 cm DBH Aesculus flava located near the plot center. Other characteristic woody species include Acer nigrum, Tilia americana var. heterophylla, Carya cordiformis, Staphylea trifolia, and Lindera benzoin. In the spring, the most abundant herbs are Dicentra canadensis and Cystopteris bulbosa. Actaea racemosa and Hydophyllum canadense are also patch-dominant, but increase in cover later in the growing season.
