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
Plot Quality Fields:
Plot Validation Level
(2) classification plot: sufficient for inclusion in a classification revision
Overall Plot Vegetation Fields:
Tree Height
17
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
50
%
Shrub Cover
60
%
Field Cover
60
%
Nonvascular Cover
5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Mundane pine-oak/heath woodland with relatively minor component of pine. Ericaceous understory is patchy, and evergreen Kalmia latifolia and deciduous Gaylussacia baccata and Vaccinium pallidum are largely segregated spatially. Microtopography is uneven, but almost no surface boulders or outcrops are visible above leaf litter. Dense Kalmia may limit abundance of Quercus ilicifolia. Overstory Q. montana generally have broad, spreading crowns. Most forbs restricted to steep, open, exposed slope at edge of plot.
Plot location was pre-selected by the project's stratified random sampling design.
Directions to plot:
From Bluff Mountain Overlook proceed south along BRP ca. 100 m to ravine on right (south) side of road. Plot and tagged tree (Quercus montana, 28 cm dbh, tag #327) located ca. 40 m from BRP and ca. 25 m from (and northeast of) bottom of ravine.
0 - 5+ - litter and duff
5 - 10 - very light brown silt loam; very shallow
Disturbance Data:
Disturbance Type
Disturbance Intensity
Disturbance Comment
unknown
At least one downed pine in plot may have been killed by pine beetle. Other pines have narrow, evidently stressed crowns, which could be the result of moderate pine beetle infestation in the past or poor competition for light with Quercus montana. Fire exclusion has allowed Kalmia to preclude nearly any successful oak regeneration. Stump-sprouted and multistemmed Q. montana indicate past logging.