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
1
m
Tree Cover
5
%
Shrub Cover
30
%
Field Cover
90
%
Nonvascular Cover
70
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot encompasses the southern portion of the "mafic prairie." White pines, though somewhat chlorotic and stunted (pyramidal) are nonetheless growing and expanding to the detriment of the graminoid vegetation. Management needed here. Soils must be extremely harsh (strongly mafic and severely wet). Rare and interesting plants are abundant here. Two new coastal plain/piedmont disjuncts are hereby recorded: Lobelia nuttallii and Agalinis obtusifolia. This vegetation is extremely rare. Its somewhat intermediate between mafic wetland vegetation and the mafic grassy shrublands near the summit of Buffalo Mountain. 12 of the 43 vascular plants species in the plot are annual. This is a remarkably high percentage. Management of this vegetation should seek to enhance populations of these annuals, many which are rare of unusual. Consistently throughout the Glades Central site, one finds extremely large crayfish burrows. The identity of this crayfish should be determined because it may be a rare species. It is difficult to assess whether this is a palustrine or terrestrial community. Xyris torta, Scleria muhlenbergii, Fimbristylis autumnalis, Hypericum gentianoides and Houstonia caerulea are associated with seasonally wet pebble areas.
In places, small pebbles of mafic rock dominate the surface. I suspect that these pebbles openings are maintained by the churning of soil material during annual freezing episodes.
Disturbance Data:
Disturbance Type
Disturbance Intensity
Disturbance Comment
unknown
Area bordered by young forest (Pinus strobus on upland; Acer rubrum in wetland): no doubt grazed in the past. Also ditches nearby.
