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
Stem Observation Area
400
m²
Plot Quality Fields:
Plot Validation Level
(2) classification plot: sufficient for inclusion in a classification revision
Overall Plot Vegetation Fields:
Tree Height
18
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
5
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
70
%
Field Cover
50
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot location: crest of east ridge of Bull Run Mountain, 1.64 km NE of Beverly Mill. Marked with a metal tree tag. See form/report for sketch. Rock types present: sparse quartzite fragments.
A dry, sloping ridge crest, supporting oligotrophic pine-oak forest with a moderately dense shrub layer of Kalmia latifolia. This site appears to have a history of frequent and/or severe fires. Soils here are extremely acidic and nutrient-poor, with a thick mantle of root-rich humus containing numerous charcoal fragments. Overstory Pinus rigida and Quercus montana fail to reach 20 m in height and have a somewhat scrubby growth form. Oaks dominate the subcanopy tree layers. There is little pine recruitment and some recent mortality from southern pine beetle outbreaks on this ridge.