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
90
%
Shrub Cover
10
%
Field Cover
30
%
Nonvascular Cover
15
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
A submesic, weakly submesotrophic, old-growth Quercus montana-dominated forest at medium elevation on the steep, rocky ESE aspect sideslope of a spur ridge on the southeastern side of the southern Peters Mountain ridge. It differs most dramatically from the forests on the spur ridge crests and south-facing sideslopes by having a contrastingly sparse heath component, big trees, submesotrophic indicator herbs, Cornus florida as a prominent shrub, and little to no Pinus rigida, P. pungens, Quercus coccinea or Nyssa sylvatica. The origin of the contrast between the two sideslope aspects appears to be solely in the aspect. The substrate varies from cobble talus to cobbly soil through the plot and the stand. A nearly pure stand of old age Quercus montana (aged at 167 years), mixed with scattered tall, possibly old-age Pinus echinata, younger Quercus velutina and Acer rubrum, and formerly some Castanea dentata. Fire has been more or less important in this stand; a fire scar on a Pinus echinata is 47 years old. Castanea dentata was an associate canopy tree. The association of Q. montana and Q. velutina is a common theme on steep, submesotrophic to oligotrophic mineral soils and sandstone pavements (but not on interstitial duff soil) on south to east aspects of the main Peters Mt. Ridges. Cf. plots GJNF324, GJNF331, GJNF334, GJNF335 and GJNF336. In this plot, note in the photo the consistent lean downslope of most of the trees.
Plot located ca. 0.7 mi SSW of Frozen Knob. Plot center lies on cobbly SSE-facing slope ca. 100 ft from toe of slope, due west of 12-in Pinus strobus on trail, ca. 130 ft uphill of stream crossing. Trail intersects FR 350 ca. 150 ft northeast along road from stream crossing of FR 350; a trail straight in at 40-ft Pinus virginiana in front of a 50-ft Quercus alba.
