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 Cover
70
%
Shrub Cover
70
%
Field Cover
50
%
Nonvascular Cover
15
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Habitat is a boulder strewn slope supporting forest vegetation heavily dominated by Tilia americana, Fraxinus americana and Parthenocissus quinquefolia. Many fertile site herbaceous plants present here, but overall herbaceous cover is quite limited by the numerous surficial boulders.
Plot location: Shenandoah NP. Just west (downslope) of the Lewis Spring Falls trail at a point ca. 0.4 miles north of Lewis Spring Falls.
GPS file R072915A is recorded on the plot and the plot map does not indicate that the point was manually changed, but the Method of Determining Location was entered as topo map.
Organic rich, presumably colluvial soil present among prevalent boulder/stone substrate. Sample very difficult to extract.
Disturbance Data:
Disturbance Type
Disturbance Intensity
Disturbance Comment
unknown
Significant deer grazing on Laportea canadensis, Polymnia canadensis and Parthenocissus quinquefolia. A large snag (Quercus rubra) present at lower edge of plot.