The Gauley River is located 15m to the south of plot center. There is a large impounded pond in the back channel ca. 30 m north. There is a thin patch of a Virginia pine woodland on the upstream edge of the island. Upstream and downstream of the pond is a PLOC-BENI/ANGE-Packera paupercula shrubland prarie.;Successional forest community dominated by tulip tree/American holly/Great Laurel. The community is growing on the highest elevation on the island (roughly 5 m above the current river level). There are a few piles of flotsam within the community but it appears to seldom flood. Maybe once or twice a year. No road access so there is little if any obvious man made disturbance.
Representativeness
Small patch of a mixed deciduous forest with a dense evergreen understory of Ilex opaca and Rhododendron maximum. Similar to other patches observed. However this island has no road access so there is little human disturbance. Plot was placed to sample