Slighly uphill grades to shrub physiognomy with tree saplings. Away from the channel vegetation abruptly changes to mature floodplain forest and there are a couple large trees on opposite side of plot along the channel bank. Slightly downhill (but upstream) from plot grades to riverscoured bedrock with Conoclinum coelestinum conspicous amongst the weeds.;Alluvial deposition on top of phyllite ledges near downstream junction of back channel with main channel of Shenandoah River. Community is dominated by tall herbs which are partly shaded by overhanging trees. Sediments are deposited by large floods which scour the slightly lower bedrock shelves in front of the plot. There is a pile of flotsam at the back of plot.
Representativeness
Plot includes most of a small patch of tall herb community. This is a fairly large patch of this community type which is repeated in mostly smaller patches. Plot location chosen to avoid infestions of Urtica dioica which dominate other patches nearby. Plo
