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
1000
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
1
m
Tree Cover
90
%
Shrub Cover
90
%
Field Cover
45
%
Nonvascular Cover
3
%
Misc Fields:
Observation Narrative
This plot is located on a short, steep slope above the Briery Creek floodplain, ca. 150 m east of plot PRIE002. Both the soils and vegetation here are dramatically different from those in PRIE002. A long, narrow (20 x 50 m) plot configuration was employed to avoid including either part of the floodplain or the drier oak-hickory forest upslope, and to adequately capture the diversity of overstory species. This stand is a classic mesophytic forest of base-rich Piedmont sites. The mixed overstory of Carya ovata, Carya cordiformis, Liriodendron tulipifera, Fraxinus americana, Fagus grandifolia, Juglans nigra, Quercus rubra and Quercus alba towers above a dense understory/shrub complex co-dominated by Carpinus caroliniana, Asimina triloba, Cercis canadensis, and Lindera benzoin. The herb layer is lush with the clonal, nutrient-demanding forbs Hybanthus concolor, Cimicifuga racemosa, and Asarum canadense. Because of the late sampling date and extended drought, it is likely that many spring ephemerals were missed. UPDATE: revisited 2008-04-16; added 19 species and increased cover of 3 species. Vernal herb layer is dominated by the Asarum canadense, Cardamine concatenata, Erythronium umbilicatum, and Podophyllum peltatum.
