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
21
m
Tree Cover
70
%
Shrub Cover
60
%
Field Cover
5
%
Nonvascular Cover
20
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot location was pre-selected by the project's stratified random sampling design.
Directions: Conduit is located on top of roadcut on Parkway left. Stake planted in subtle saddle. Witness is Acer rubrum located adjacent to granulite boulder. Park on right shoulder of BRP, ca. 0.8 mi south of Indian Rocks Parking Area. Tagged tree is a Acer rubrum of 32 cm with tag #328. Conduit is at a bearing of 124 degrees and 4.0 m from tree.
Stand of broad-crowned Quercus montana over dense understory of gnarled Kalmia latifolia on bouldery colluvial slope just below BRP. Center of hectare lies on top of roadcut next to road, so plot moved downslope to capture homogeneous, undisturbed vegetation. Boulders, shallow soil, thick litter and duff, and dense shade from Kalmia severely limit herbaceous growth. Stand has been relatively free of recent disturbance, although ice or wind storms may have caused minor damage. Quercus montana individuals appear to be almost exclusively of single-stem origin. Morning fog complicated the sampling of a plot already made difficult by the density of Kalmia stems and the unevenness of the terrain.
Construction of BRP and associated roadcut may have resulted in minor erosion in this stand. Stand was undoubtedly logged 70-100 yr ago. Fire exclusion may be partially responsible for lack of oak regeneration. Pine snags may have been killed by southern pine beetle.