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
70
%
Shrub Cover
50
%
Field Cover
70
%
Nonvascular Cover
50
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
The forest vegetation here formally had a mixed canopy of Picea rubens and Abies fraseri. This mixed coniferous type is characterized of the middle to upper slopes of Mount Rogers, below the crest zone dominated by nearly pure stands of fir. In the area of this plot, almost all of the canopy sized fir have died within the past ten years (presumably because of balsam woolly adelgid and/or air pollution). Currently spruce is the sole dominant of the partially open canopy, while healthy young reproduction of fir dominates the understory and shrub layers. Hundreds of Sorbus americana seedlings occur in the plot, probably representing a response to increased light from the recently opened canopy.
Plot located on southern slope of Mount Rogers, ca. 80 m upslope of the Appalachian Trail and 0.6 mi ESE of Deep Gap.
