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
6
m
Field Height
2
m
Tree Cover
80
%
Shrub Cover
70
%
Field Cover
55
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
This plot captures the most diverse portion of a rich, mesophytic forest that occupies an unusual, 1.5 hectare monadnock underlain by mafic rock. The monadnock is adjacent to the North Meherrin River and completely surrounded by a broad floodplain, The summit of this isolated hill is ca. 17 m in elevation above the surrounding lowlands. The presence of pines, red cedars, and stone piles on the hill, suggest that the site has suffered major past disturbances from cutting and/or clearing. The plot is located on the east side, where regeneration largely consists of young mesophytic hardwoods with scattered red cedar. The largest tree present (a Liriodendron 57 cm DBH) is estimated to be ~70 years old. Despite past disturbance the shrub and herb layers of this forest are lush, diverse, and lack exotic weeds except for very low cover of Lonicera japonica. The current overstory is dominated by a mixture of Carya spp., Liriodendron, Juglans nigra, Quercus muhlenbergii. Seedlings and saplings of shade-tolerant Acer barbatum and Fagus grandifolia are numerous, suggesting that these species will assume greater importance as the stand matures.
