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
30
%
Nonvascular Cover
1
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
A well-marked, consistently Quercus alba-dominated, dry mesotrophic forest community frequently found on the upper slopes of the main Peters Mountain and other Ridge and Valley ridges, where there is a gentle to moderately sloping, not too rocky transition between crests and steep rocky slopes. Bedrock geology (Rose Hill Formation, probably the shale or siltstone component) and soils (extremely stony, but not without much bedrock outcrop) play a role too, as pH and Ca are relatively high (cf. GJNF315 at similar landscape position). This is an old-growth forest: there are widely spaced old-age Quercus alba with lots of storm damage, which is frequent on the young trees as well. The well-developed, somewhat species-rich grass-, sedge- and forb-dominated herb layer is characteristic and consistent with moderately fertile but dry, stony soils and high light levels. The latter are likely maintained by both relatively poor growing conditions for the trees (dry, stony soils) and high incidence of storm damage (i.e., pruning and wind throw) in the exposed upper slope position.
Plot located ca. 1.3 mi ESE of Iron Hill Springs and ca. 100 ft S10W of Quercus montana with large exposed root system on major red-rock outcrop ca. 8 ft high by 40 ft long on ridgecrest.
