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 Height
20
m
Shrub Height
1
m
Tree Cover
75
%
Shrub Cover
75
%
Field Cover
50
%
Nonvascular Cover
15
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot is located in the oldest and least disturbed portion of a very unusual flatwoods occurring on a clay rich, hardpan soils of nearly level Triassic basin uplands bordering a floodplain. Because of slow internal drainage, these soils may become water logged during wet periods, but vary to xeric for large parts of the growing season. Small, temporarily ponded depressions are scattered throughout the area, but it is unclear whether the habitat should be classified as a wetland in the strict sense. The vegetation here is a peculiar mix of upland and wetland species growing side by side. Large areas of the forest floor are covered by huge beds of Cladonia lichens; fire management would undoubtedly reduce lichen cover and stimulate herbaceous diversity. This is probably a naturally rare and restricted community type, but much of this occurrence has been degraded by past cutting and invasion by pines. Recently most of the pines have been killed by a southern pine beetle outbreak.
A= 0-15 cm., grayish brown silty loam. B= >15 cm., reddish brown clay loam. Hyrology ambiguous
2013 revisit, soil collected at new location:
0-1 cm deciduous leaf litter
1-3 cm medium brown loam with root mat / organic matter
3-13+ cm yellow-tan very sandy loam
