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
50
%
Shrub Cover
70
%
Field Cover
90
%
Nonvascular Cover
35
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot documents a yellow birch dominated boulderfield on the western slope of Mount Rogers. Similar vegetation is extensive in a middle to upper slope zone on this flank of Mount Rogers, but has been heavily disturbed by extensive mortality of birch, presumably as a result of high ozone levels and acidic atmospheric deposition. In the area of this plot, there is relatively less birch die back and large (up to 100 cm. dbh) specimens of yellow birch are scattered through the stand. Such trees are somewhat stunted and quite gnarled because of repeated damage by wind and ice storms. Despite high surficial cover of boulders, the herb layers are dense, with most of the cover contributed by Dryopteris intermedia and Ribes glandulosum.
Plot located on western slope of Mount Rogers, just upslope of the Mount Rogers Trail from Grindstone Campground at a point ca. 0.25 mi northeast of its confluence with the Appalachian Trail near Deep Gap.
