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
Plot Quality Fields:
Plot Validation Level
(2) classification plot: sufficient for inclusion in a classification revision
Overall Plot Vegetation Fields:
Field Height
1
m
Tree Cover
50
%
Shrub Cover
30
%
Field Cover
70
%
Nonvascular Cover
15
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
The site is very hot and dry. Soils are extremely acidic, judging by the vegetation and sandstone bedrock. The globally rare shrub Buckleya distichophylla, is extremely abundant here (5-10 plants per 100 sq. m). The pine woodland here is very scenic, rather unusual and fire prone. The dominant tree, Pinus pungens, appears to represent a single age class resulting from a fire 30-40 years ago.
Pinus pungens individuals measured @ 20-30 cm. Vegetation in a similar habitat outside the plot includes Rhus copallinum, Solidago bicolor, Nyssa sylvatica, Polygonatum biflorum var. biflorum, Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum, Quercus marilandica, Quercus velutina, Gaylussacia baccata, Castanea dentata, Pinus strobus, Pinus rigida, Pinus virginiana, and Tephrosia virginica.
Plot situated near crest of slope.