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
32
m
Shrub Height
6
m
Field Height
75
m
Tree Cover
75
%
Shrub Cover
25
%
Field Cover
60
%
Nonvascular Cover
1
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Coastal Plain Floodplain Swamp Forest dominated by Red Maple, Sweetgum, and American Elm with scattered Willow Oak. Sedges dominate the herb layer with areas locally dominated by Greenbrier. Cinna arundinacea grows on hummocks and in drier patches. The understory is open with little shrub development. Mosses cover the lower tree trunks and fallen logs. Plot represents an small area free of Microstegium because of saturated soils and standing water. Historically this area was part of the floodplain, but has undergone major hydrologic alterations, resulting in a more seasonally flooded hydrology.
water at or near surface. very wet. shallow hummock and hollow topography
_________________________________
o 0-3 cm loose deciduous leaf litter
3-8 cm organic matter - humus/muck
A 8-13 cm medium gray silty clay
13+ cm light gray sandy clay with orange mottling
Disturbance Data:
Disturbance Type
Disturbance Intensity
Disturbance Comment
unknown
Historically this area was part of floodplain, but has undergone major hydrologic alterations due to adjacent railroad, roads, ditching. Stand has many old ditches and berms and old stumps. Microstegium cover is high in areas that are not saturated or without standing water.