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
15
%
Field Cover
30
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
The vegetation in this plot is representative of young northern hardwood forests occupying ridge crests and south facing spurs at higher elevations on Allegheny Mountain. These stands, which followed extensive railroad logging about 70 years ago, are more or less dominated by black cherry (Prunus serotina), with admixtures of red oak (Quercus rubra), red maple (Acer rubrum), sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and white ash (Fraxinus americana). Shrub growth is sparse and expansive colonies of hayscented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) and the sedge Carex woodii characterizes a heavily deer browsed herb layer. Sugar maple and beech (Fagus grandifolia) are abundant in the woody understory and appear to be the future canopy dominants on these sites. However, the future role of beech has been made uncertain by the widespread onset of a die back caused by beech bark disease (beech scale-Nectria complex).
