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
2
m
Tree Cover
25
%
Shrub Cover
60
%
Field Cover
20
%
Nonvascular Cover
40
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
A linear plot was positioned in a narrow zone just above the Potomac River shore at the lower end of Mather Gorge. This zone represents the highest area that is periodically scoured by large to catastrophic floods, and has 90% cover of bedrock, boulders, and stones. The vegetation is somewhat heterogeneous and has many aspects of an ecotone, but is consistently represented both in and outside of the plot by high cover and diversity of shrubs, and co-dominance of the shrub layer by Carpinus caroliniana and Ilex verticillata and/or Ilex decidua. This vegetation grades upslope into a bouldery chestnut oak/ heath forest, and downslope to the sparsely vegetated, seasonally exposed river shore. The plot appears to represent a marginal example of vegetation that occurs more frequently across the river on Bear Island on slopes incised into the bedrock terrace. The examples on Bear Island are less ecotonal in appearance but are nevertheless similar and unusual.