Releve Virginia Division of Natural Heritage, see http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural_heritage/documents/nh_plotform_instructions.pdf
Overall Taxon Cover Values are Automatically Calculated?
no
Stem Observation Area
400
m²
Plot Quality Fields:
Plot Validation Level
(2) classification plot: sufficient for inclusion in a classification revision
Overall Plot Vegetation Fields:
Tree Height
30
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
75
%
Field Cover
12
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot location: Approximately 40 m W of Rt. 640 at a point 0.5 km N of jct. with Rt. 692.
This plot documents a xeric, species-poor upland forest dominated by medium-age Quercus alba, with some Quercus montana, Quercus falcata, and Quercus coccinea associated. One small Liriodendron tulipifera has recruited into an old gap at the north end of the plot. Ericaceous shrubs, especially Gaylussacia baccata and Vaccinium pallidum, are prominent in the understory and few herbaceous plants occur. This stand represents a compositional variant of the oak forest that covers much of this central Piedmont region and has variably mixed overstory dominance by Quercus montana and Quercus alba. Good recruitment of canopy oaks is present, especially in seedling and small sapling classes. However, the density of Acer rubrum and Nyssa sylvatica far exceeds that of other species in the understory of the sampled stand.
