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
27
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
60
%
Shrub Cover
15
%
Field Cover
10
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Directions to plot and tree tag: From parking lot at base of Sharp Top, proceed south on hiking trail ca. 225m. Just above trail crosses powerline ROW, proceed nearly due east (paralleling ROW) < 50m to tag tree. Tagged tree is a Liriodendron tulipifera of 43.7 cm dbh with tag #415. Conduit is at a bearing of 210 degrees and 1.95 m from tree.
Plot location was pre-selected by the project's stratified random sampling design.
Disturbed stand with an open understory and sparse, interrupted and short herb layer. Deer browse is evidently severe, and deer have apparently browsed selectively on species other than Ageratina. Abundant CWD and scattered snags suggest past wind or ice damage, and tall Robinia and leaning boles of several subcanopy trees indicate other canopy disturbances. Canopy is most open at far end of plot, where density of Alliaria and Magnolia (the foliage of which is chlorotic, at least on understory trees) is highest. Trail to Sharp Top runs ca. 25m from lower side of plot. GPS unit behaved schizophrenically in vicinity of powerline; could not get stable reading within 20m of point. Plot includes very small ravine.
Medium brown, very fine silt loam with many fine roots
Disturbance Data:
Disturbance Type
Disturbance Intensity
Disturbance Comment
unknown
Severe deer browsing has resulted in sparse herb cover, low herbaceous stature, and exceedingly little tree regeneration. Several exotics and native weeds present.