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
22
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
30
%
Field Cover
80
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Directions to plot and tree tag:
Discretionary Onion Mountain plot. Park at Sunset Field on opposite (south) side of BRP, look for old road and follow ESE to saddle. Here road forks; bear south and ascend to top of ridge. Point located just west of open park-like vegetation in northern red oak stand.
Tagged tree is a Quercus rubra of with tag # 341. Conduit is at a bearing of 154 degrees and 4.7 m from tree.
Plot location was selected by DNH Ecologists in the field.
Possible old field, few or no exotics but coralberry is nearby in large amounts, area appears cleared of rocks. Disturbed successional high-elevation Quercus rubra stand with dense Dennstaedtia punctilobula. Stand may have arisen from former pasture or coppice woodland. Remnants of several buildings near saddle attest to past settlement, and gently sloping north-trending spur at Onion Mt. would have provided excellent grazing habitat. North of surveyed hectare, Rhododendron catawbiense forms dense understory. Plot sampled resignedly to fulfill contractual obligations.