The plot is located on an alluvial terrace along the Laurel Fork River, in a relatively isolated section of the Mon. National Forest. No active roads access this area. There is an old jeep trail which follows the river right from US Rt. 33 to Jenningston. To the north of the plot it becomes an upland forest with Quercus rubra / Betula alleghaniensis / Rhododendron maximum to the south toward river becomes Tsuga canadensis - Picea rubens / Rhododendron maximum / Sphagnum swamp forest - (see MONF.203) Which is this community only with more tall herb Vernonia noveboracensis - Typha (also see Monf.203 for more context).;Woodland is caused by dieback of hemlock and spruce, allowing more light and higher diversity than our next plot MONF.203 which is forested. The red maples are also losing their leaves adding to the open effect. The alluvial terrace doesn't appear to flood too often so most of the water inputs are most likely coming from upland seepage. This area may have been a backchannel but there isn't a distinct channel. More likely the river periodically covers the entire terrace.
Representativeness
Small patch of Tsuga canadensis - Picea rubens / Acer rubrum - Betula alleghaniensis / Osmunda cinnamomea / Sphagnum woodland. Similar to several seepage swamp woodland/forest plots completed for the HEW project.
