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
30
m
Shrub Height
5
m
Field Height
2
m
Tree Cover
90
%
Shrub Cover
75
%
Field Cover
60
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot is representative of a narrow zone adjacent to the Potomac River that is probably flooded at least annually and supports a forest dominated by Acer saccharinum. The adjacent floodplain is slightly higher, better drained, and does not flood annually, supporting a forest dominated by Platanus occidentalis. The gradient is abrupt in the area of the plot, and some species more characteristic of the higher floodplain (e.g., Mertensia virginica and Hydrophyllum canadense) are locally common in the sample.