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
30
%
Shrub Cover
90
%
Field Cover
30
%
Nonvascular Cover
1
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Community is a mosaic of woodland and scrub or a sparse woodland taken as a whole. Situated on a flat top knoll and adjacent gentle upper slopes, it looks like a typical pitch pine scrub oak woodland, except the pine is nearly 100% Pinus pungens. The stress of wind and ice is conspicuous in the flagging of trees and perhaps also in the scarcity of tree oaks- there are a few scattered Quercus montana with a coppice habit. Plot was placed straddling the boundary of an area of more dense woodland and a large patch of scrub, ca. 100 ft north of FR 179, at point where road curves and begins to descend on southeast side of knoll crest. This site burned in spring 1995, between the first and second visits. Soil profile examined in October 1995, after fire.
For sizes of representative trees, see Tree Age data.
Vaccinium angustifolium, Iris verna, Coreopsis major, Carex umbellata, and Dichanthelium cf. depauperatum recorded in October 1995, after fire killing nearly all aboveground vegetation. Platanthera ciliaris recorded April 1996.
0 - 4 - O: burned duff mixed with red sandstone and possibly siltstone gravel and flags
4 - 15+ - A: red-brown; so stony, gravelly and flaggy that depth to bedrock could not be determined
Disturbance Data:
Disturbance Type
Disturbance Intensity
Disturbance Comment
unknown
Fire presumed because of several dead pine logs around. At least one scrubby opening. Flagging of pines evident.
