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:
Tree Cover
50
%
Shrub Cover
50
%
Field Cover
50
%
Nonvascular Cover
1
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
A very acidic, oligotrophic Pinus rigida-Quercus montana-Quercus velutina forest on a southeast aspect. On this aspect yellow pine-oak-heath forests and woodlands are restricted to small occurrences associated with more convex landforms, such as this steepening of slope at the downslope edge of a bench, spur ridge crests, and pavement-like outcrops. Often present also are Quercus coccinea (except on the pavements) and Pinus pungens (this stand is somewhat anomalous by their absence). The prominence of Kalmia latifolia and/or Gaylussacia baccata in additions to low Vaccinium spp. is also characteristic. This stand, with small trees and old charred stumps, grades quickly downhill into a straighter slope and an old-growth Quercus montana forest with some Quercus velutina and Pinus rigida, with bark charring on large old Quercus montana. This and the prominence in this plot of Quercus montana in nearly all strata, suggests that fire has a different impact in one forest versus the other, though they have similar species composition. Specifically, fire on the convexity appears to have killed more of the canopy trees, as they are more vulnerable due to smaller size due to more xeric and oligotrophic conditions.
Plot located ca. 0.45 mi ESE of Jingling Rocks, on pine-dominated opening surrounding oak forest.
