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
15
m
Shrub Height
1
m
Field Height
1
m
Tree Cover
25
%
Shrub Cover
5
%
Field Cover
35
%
Nonvascular Cover
15
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Directions to plot and tree tag:
Depart BRP at MP 67. Proceed ca. 320m almost due north, up nearly 400 vertical feet, through recently burned stand to tag tree, which is among the few relatively healthy individuals in vicinity. Tagged tree is a Pinus pungens of 20.2 cm dbh with tag #412. Conduit is at a bearing of 95 degrees and 6.5 m from tree.
Plot location was pre-selected by the project's stratified random sampling design.
This chestnut oak stand apparently burned within the last two years. Size of fire conservatively estimated at >10 ha. It is difficult to estimate pre-burn cover of overstory oaks; although mortality of overstory individuals appears slight (10-20%), many trees have suffered crown damage. In addition defoliation by gypsy moth has been moderate this growing season. Pre-disturbance cover of Quercus prinus was likely ca. 50% while that of Quercus coccinea (which experienced greater mortality within the plot) was ca. 10%. Kalmia experienced substantial dieback, although most clones are sprouting from base. Nyssa seems to have responded most vigorously. Fire evidently stimulated little oak regeneration. Litter (presumably last season’s foliage) constitutes only ca. 20-25% of surface substrate, but substantial duff cover remains. Slightly convex face on which plot is located probably always had exposed bedrock outcrops, even before fire. Plot moved laterally from center of ha to capture portion of stand that experienced relatively low mortality in fire. Most of the slope has < 5-10% overstory cover. Plot limited to 400m2 to keep entire plot within hectare, because this size is likely sufficient to capture compositional variation, and because of recent disturbance.
