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
1500
m²
Plot Quality Fields:
Plot Validation Level
(2) classification plot: sufficient for inclusion in a classification revision
Overall Plot Vegetation Fields:
Tree Height
36
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
2
%
Field Cover
3
%
Nonvascular Cover
1
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
On the north side of the main entrance road to Sweet Briar College, the Constitution Oaks Preserve supports a forest with a clear signature of past intensive grazing. Herb cover and sapling density are both exceedingly low. Trees in this stand have been aged at 200+ years. In addition to the paucity of herbs, vegetation here differs from that of plot AMHE001 in the greater importance and stature of Fagus grandifolia and Quercus alba and the lesser component of Carya alba. Abundance of Fagus may reflect high-grade logging in the distant past. Trees were supersampled at 150% to increase sample size and to reduce potential bias toward including largest individuals in plot layout. Plot overlaps with permanent 1.0 ha monitoring plot 20N30E.
0 - 3 - litter and duff
3 - medium brown, dry, somewhat cobbly, sandy clay loam; sandier and drier than soil of plot AMHE001; no evident horizon development