Upstream is relativly large patch of flood battered shrubland (GARI.118). Most of riparian along Meadow is very narrow. Uphill is deciduous forest-conifer band confined to narrow zone along river.;Narrow hemlock-mixed decidous forest over giant rhododendron. This is a varient of the Gauley matrix forest in a riverside/rarely flooded position. Lots of Rhododendron is dead, possibly due to a big flood. Soil has a very deep duff layer, suggesting only infrequent/low energy flooding. Large chestnut oak and hemlock may be quite old. Duff layer varies from thick at top of plot to thin at bottom, indicating flood regime gradient. Deep alluvial sand under the duff.
Representativeness
Plot samples narrow long zone of conifer signature between RR grade and river. Immediate vicinity of plot has lots of dead rhododendron possibly due to high water flood event (?). ~2 m elevation range in plot.