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
1000
m²
Plot Quality Fields:
Plot Validation Level
(2) classification plot: sufficient for inclusion in a classification revision
Overall Plot Vegetation Fields:
Tree Cover
70
%
Shrub Cover
40
%
Field Cover
5
%
Nonvascular Cover
2
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
This stand adjacent to the Railroad Trail was sampled in large part to capture abundant regeneration of Quercus montana. Although this community can legitimately be considered a chestnut oak forest, it probably should have been sampled with a smaller plot. At far end of plot (modules 5 and 6), vegetation grades into more open, mixed oak-hickory stand, with much lower tree seedling density and moderate canopy disturbance. Carya ovalis, which is absent from the four focal modules, is especially abundant at this end. Time precluded the measurement of soil depth or topographic indices.
