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
30
%
Shrub Cover
30
%
Field Cover
70
%
Nonvascular Cover
15
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
This plot encompasses a steeply sloping area, a small vertical outcrop and a narrow ledge at the top of a massive ravine side cliff. The dry woodland vegetation here, dominated by Fraxinus americana, Carya glabra and Ostrya virginiana, has high species richness and an impressive diversity of herbaceous plants. A timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus horridus) hibernaculum is located close to this plot.
Plot location: Shenandoah NP. Top of massive greenstone cliffs on east flank of Big Devils Stairs, west of where the Big Devils Stairs Trail turns east away from the canyon (plot not visible from trail)