Identification and mapping of vegetation communities in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Teetor A. 1988. Identification and mapping of vegetation communities in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. Mid-Atlantic Region (MAR) Research/Resources Management Report. MAR-34. National Park Service. Mid-Atlantic Regional Office. Philadelphia
Forest type mapping of Shenandoah National Park (SHEN) was compiled over a 4-year period, 1983-1987. The project was designed to produce a detailed map of the dominant forest types as a current baseline inventory of park forest resources. Cover type stands (minimum size 1-2 hectares (3-5 acres)) were delineated from color infrared (CIR) 35mm slides provided by the Virginia Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries (VCGIF). Approximately 50% of the stands were field checked, the remainder were identified from the slides. Stands were systematically chosen for plot sampling based on topographic representation and the amount of difficulty identifying forest cover types from slides. Plots were placed randomly within stand boundaries. Two thousand seven hundred and fifty-two .04 hectare (1/10 acre) plots were distributed throughout the 77,900 hectares (192,500 acres) of the park. Seven dominant cover types were identified and tested for accuracy using discrete multivariate analysis. Overall accuracy for the 7 forest types averaged 70%. These types include chestnut oak (Quercus prinus), which covered 49% of the park land area, yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) covers 16%, red oak (Quercus rubra) ash (Fraxinus americana) basswood (Tilia americana) or cove hardwood (Tilia americana) covers 15%, red oak (Quercus rubra) and white oak (Quercus alba) 10%, pine (Pinus) 6%, black locust (Robina pseudoacacia) 4%, and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) less than 1%. Evergreen understory (greater than 25% canopy coverage), primarily mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), was identified in the Central District. Unique forest stands not described in the main types include white birch, bog areas, and other outstanding natural features. Successional transition was recorded in those stands which appeared to have one forest type replacing another. Black locust and pine were among those type frequently being replaced. Major factors influencing succession include fire, past human disturbance, and insect damage. Five hundred eighty old homesites occur throughout the park, primarily on the fertile and gradually sloping land near the park boundary. An abundance of soft mast was found at those homesite locations visited, creating pockets of highly valuable food sources for wildlife
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Teetor, Alison
- Date of Issue
- 1988-04-06
- Publisher
- National Park Service. Mid-Atlantic Regional Office
- Units
- SHEN
- Keywords
- American basswood (Tilia americana), ash trees (Fraxinus), Black Locust (Robina pseudoacacia), Checklist, Chestnut Oak (Quercus prinus), Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), Forest Communities, Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), Pine Trees (Pinus), Plant Communities (Vegetation), Plant Studies, tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera), Vegetation Types, White Oak (Quercus alba)