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
5
%
Shrub Cover
20
%
Field Cover
5
%
Nonvascular Cover
50
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Example of the more oligotrophic of the sloping quartzose sandstone pavement woodland and scrub communities, with stunted Pinus rigida, the dominant tree or tall shrub, with heaths, Oxydendrum, Nyssa sylvatica, Acer rubrum, Sassafras, Amelanchier arborea and Smilax glauca typically sharing dominance on the islands of soil scattered around on the uneven, usually pillowed quartzose sandstone surface. Herbaceous diversity and cover is typically very low; Danthonia sericea is among the characteristic and constant herbs. There are fluvial erosion forms cut into the bare sandstone, and fluvial erosion is doubtlessly a major process maintaining this community. Lichen areal cover is high in this community owing to the high area of exposed sandstone. As is the case here, these more open pavement communities are mostly found near the western cliff edges and apices of the upward-pointing triangular facets, the shape in which these quartzose pavements occur as repeating units on Pine Mountain. Vascular vegetation cover typically increases toward the interior and eastern cliffs of the facets.
Plot located 0.8 km ENE of Bryant Gap, near cliff brow to west.
1 - 0 - pine needle litter
0 - 1 - Oe: brown
1 - 6 - Oa: black with white sand grains mixed in
6 - quartzose sandstone bedrock
NOTE: This description is representative of one of the scattered pockets of soil, not the entire plot, most of which is without soil.
