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 Height
38
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
1
m
Tree Cover
90
%
Shrub Cover
85
%
Field Cover
60
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Although most upland forests on the slopes and bluffs bordering Lake Prince are associated with acidic soils and contain typical acidophilic species, small stands of rich mesophytic hardwood forest occur where underlying shell deposits are close enough to the surface to influence soil chemistry. This plot was located in one such habitat, a ravine slope where soil calcium levels exceed 1800 ppm. This mesic slope supports a lush second-growth forest with a mixed overstory of Carya cordiformis, Quercus muhlenbergii, Fraxinus americana, and Juglans nigra. Younger Fraxinus, Liriodendron tulipifera, and Acer barbatum are recruiting into several small gaps. An exceptionally large, 53 cm DBH Morus rubra occurs in the sub-canopy. Cornus florida and Carpinus caroliniana are the leading shrub species, while the herb layer is patchy but lush with spring ephemerals and other nutrient-demanding forbs.