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
Stem Observation Area
400
m²
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
70
%
Field Cover
90
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
The habitat is a floodplain slough that is situated some distance away from the stream channel in the Passage Creek floodplain. A small, swampy intermittent channel runs through the plot, which has considerable microtopographic heterogeneity due to the close distribution of hummocks, hollows and the swampy channel. Forest vegetation here, dominated by Acer rubrum and Platanus occidentalis, is very diverse, particularly in the herbaceous layer. The establishment of a number of upland mesophytes in the better drained microhabitats of this wetland contribute to the high species richness.
Plot located in northern portion of Massanutten Mountains, in Fort Valley; bottomland between Rt. 678 and Passage Creek, 0.25 mi northwest of Elizabeth Furnace Picnic Area.