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
37
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
8
m
Tree Cover
90
%
Shrub Cover
60
%
Field Cover
55
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Small-stream floodplain with abundant exotics. Stream channel is deeply entrenched and shows evidence of downcutting and severe bank erosion within the past 100-200 years. Surrounding forest in much of stream valley is an even-aged Liriodendron stand which probably regenerated on abandoned agricultural land. Although of marginal quality, this vegetation was sampled since there are very few small-stream floodplain habitats within the Potomac Gorge proper.