Ca. 0.25 miles to the W is a gas well rd. Below our plot, ca. 0.25 miles, before the Gauley River is an active railroad. Ca. 100 m to the W of our plot is a slightly more xeric oak/heath forest. Just W of that, in the draw, the forest is more mesic w/ LiTu, AcSa. Old logging road ca. 100 m below trail.;Steep gorge slope with an oak/hickory forest. Fairly intact stand. Few if any noticeable cut stumps or skidder trails within the plot. Little seedling regeneration. The forest floor has a relatively high cover of vines (Toxicodendron and Parthenocissus). Our plot is located on a ridge "nose" overlooking the Gauley River. Fairly high amount of windthrow (old branches from the tops of the large oaks)
Representativeness
(see aerial photo)
Large patch of sub-xeric oak forest on steep S aspect. Plot was placed because of the relative intatness of stand. (large trees, few stumps or skid trails)