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
28
m
Field Height
1
m
Tree Cover
70
%
Shrub Cover
20
%
Field Cover
5
%
Nonvascular Cover
1
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Relatively depauperate and fairly heavily disturbed stand of maritime mixed forest on level ground behind the high secondary dunes in the southern end of Savage Neck NAP. Stand structure - with emergent Pinus taeda through a predominantly Acer rubrum canopy - clearly suggests that the pine cohort established following stand-level disturbance, but the reasons for the paucity of maple regeneration are unclear. Scattered holes on the ground throughout stand (up to 50 cm across and of similar depth) may represent scars from past logging operations. Ferns are patchily distributed throughout. Impact of past disturbance seems to increase beyond plot toward road, and abundance of Lonicera japonica increases substantially.
From flagged Pinus taeda (76 cm dbh): 3.4 m @ 168 deg to Stake A.
0 - 5 - pine needle litter and duff
5 - 9 - O horizon: dark brown, organic-rich, fine sandy silt loam
9 - light brown, somewhat coarser-textured, sandy loam; by 50 cm soil grades into fine sandy clay loam, very firm and exceedingly difficult to penetrate
Disturbance Data:
Disturbance Type
Disturbance Intensity
Disturbance Comment
unknown
Prominent drainage ditch runs roughly parallel to long axis east of plot.
