Intensive 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
1000
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
Field Height
1
m
Tree Cover
60
%
Shrub Cover
1
%
Field Cover
1
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Open stand of young Carya glabra and stump-sprouted Quercus prinus near top of broadly concave slope below gas pipeline. Intent was to capture more pure hickory-dominated vegetation, but this plot may more closely represent widespread ecotonal type between pine-oak/heath woodlands and open Carya forests, which according to Paul Clarke, are chiefly restricted to ridgecrests and extreme upper slopes at Poor Mountain. Vegetation is similar in both composition and structure to that observed at Pedlar Hills and Johnsons Creek NAP's on dolomite and shale, respectively. Plot clusters with shale woodland vegetation from the latter preserve and several National Forest sites. Most hickory individuals appear unambiguously to be C. glabra, but a few trees are suggestive of C. ovalis (seven leaflets, reddish petioles?). Lack of hickory regeneration may be attributable to deer browsing, but surface substrate may also be a factor. Soil is thin and rocky throughout; cobbles are scattered across plot, but more typical surface cover is channery, which extends to at least 10 cm in depth. A Quercus prinus snag in module 7 creates a gap ca. 200 sq. m, but there are no signs of recent disturbance. Density of Buckleya distichophylla increases beyond plot; all individuals here are present in module 6. A permanent Stewardship inventory plot located beyond and downslope of this one. Some charcoal evident.
