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
34
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
8
m
Tree Cover
90
%
Shrub Cover
35
%
Field Cover
75
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
This plot captures a small-stream floodplain forest along Dead Run in Turkey Run Park. This type of habitat is rather rare in the Potomac Gorge and is restricted to its outer periphery, where the topography is not as steep and tributary stream gradients are lower. This floodplain supports a 1-hectare seepage swamp along its northeastern edge; elsewhere the forest is better drained but quite variable in composition (see also plot TURK053). The overstory in the plot is dominated by large Liriodendron tulipifera and Fraxinus pennsylvanica. A large Fagus grandifolia and Juglans nigra are rooted outside the plot but have overhanging cover. Acer negundo is the most abundant understory species and the herb layer features dominance patches of Polygonum virginianum, Arisaema triphyllum, and Circaea lutetiana. Update 2005-04-13: plot has approximately 35% cover of Erythronium americanum, which was not visible at all the previous May.