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
39
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
1
m
Tree Cover
90
%
Shrub Cover
15
%
Field Cover
95
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Resample of 13-year old permanent plot. Corners are now monumented with rebar stakes painted light blue.
This beautiful rich mesophytic forest features an overstory of large Liriodendron tulipifera and Quercus rubra over an open understory and a lush herb layer of nutrient-demanding ferns and forbs. Since 2011, the large canopy trees have continued to grow at an impressive rate, and measureable stems of several shrubs and tree saplings have increased. The herb-layer dominants are the same as in 2001, but Microstegium vimineum (absent in the earlier sample) now consistutes >10% cover in this layer. It remains to be seen whether this invasive grass can outcompete the much larger and coarser herbaceous dominants here and continue to spread. Persicaria longiseta, the only exotic present in 2001, has increased in cover from <1% to >2%. Three other problematic invasives have also become established: Rubus phoenicolasius (>2% cover), Alliaria petiolata (<1% cover), and Celastrus orbiculatus (<1% cover). All three have the potential for achieving dominance in this type of forest vegetation.
