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:
Field Height
30
m
Tree Cover
50
%
Shrub Cover
15
%
Field Cover
70
%
Nonvascular Cover
1
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
A dry, mesotrophic forest on a medium high elevation narrow ridge crest, where bedrock is evidently somewhat calcareous. Relatively diverse herb layer is due to fertility of the substrate and the characteristic high light levels of a narrow crest. As is common in dry, open, higher elevation submesotrophic and mesotrophic crest forests, Calamagrostis porteri is abundant in patches. This plot is probably best considered transitional between the higher elevation oak hickory open forest especially characteristic of the southeast upper slope of the strike ridges and the Quercus rubra - Q. montana forests characteristic of the northwest upper slopes. Aspect ranges from 287 through N to 63 degrees.
Plot located on Peters Mountain ridgecrest, ca. 500 ft NNE of point where FR 175 turns off ridgecrest, heading north, and 1.95 mi due north of Morning Knob. A ca. 25-in dbh Quercus montana with south-facing fire scar, more or less on the center of the ridge spur, stands just beyond northern end of the plot.
