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
28
m
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot location: Low ridge between Rts. 234 and 622, ca. 0.8 miles S of Sudley Springs.
Rock Types Present: Minor diabase debris.
The plot documents a dry-oak hickory forest with impressive (n = 77) species richness. Clay-rich soils have high levels of Mn, Mg, and Ca. Overstory dominants of the open forest include medium-age Quercus alba, Quercus rubra, Quercus velutina, and Carya glabra. The xerophytic graminoids Danthonia spicata, Dichanthelium boscii, and Muhlenbergia sobolifera are patch-dominants of the herb layer. This site has been continuously forested, though disturbed by cutting, from before the Civil War to the present.