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
5
m
Tree Cover
90
%
Shrub Cover
70
%
Field Cover
20
%
Nonvascular Cover
0.5
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
Plot location: forested hillside bounded by Briery Creek, the Briery Creek dam, and the entrance road to Briery Creek Wildlife Management Area. This site supports a forest of tall, well-formed oaks, hickories, and tulip-poplar that are, in some cases, probably more than 100 years old. None of the trees originated as sprouts, but pine lightwood was found scattered on the ground and old gullies are present, all of which suggests that this stand generated on abandoned agricultural land many decades ago. In all likelihood, the current oak-hickory forest succeeded an earlier seral phase dominated by pines. Based on the age of several redcedars in the understory, this pine stand was cut about 1929-1930, releasing the hardwoods that had regenerated along with and after the pines. Quercus alba is somewhat under-represented in the plot, which has an notably high diversity of woody species and a very sparse herbaceous flora.
