W4 Site 3

Site 3: N39 37.900 W77 26.140 
Aspect: Slightly North (Ascending slopes – 150º or SE, and 330º or NW, descending slopes 250º or SW, and 70º or NE)
Slope Position: Summit/ Terrace
Landform: Saddle
Common Vegetation: N. Red Oak, Black Gum, Red Maple, Chesnut Oak

           Site W4 was a pretty moisturous site, located in a saddle. The vegetation in this area was plentiful in growth, and consisted of a variety of dry-site, moist-site and other generalist species. Although W4 wasn’t perfect model of a saddle landform, the area did have the common attributes of a saddle. The area was mild and moist due to the two slopes that deposit moisture into the saddle. The land around W4 was very flat, and since flatlands are able to retain moisture, this attribute also contributed to the mild, moist environment. Since the two nose slopes of the saddle at W4 were very gradual, the area was likely more moist and cool than most saddle landforms. Also because the aspect was slightly North, the area also received less direct sunlight than it would if it were slightly facing the South.

A number of studies have shown the influence of landform on growth, composition, and distribution of tree communities (McNab). In this mild area this influence was manifested by the growth of Northern Red Oak, Black Gum, Red Maple and Chesnut Oak. Chesnut Oak and Black Gum generally grow in dry areas, but Northern Red Oak and Red Maple usually only grow in moist areas. A few of the trees at this site were fairly large with diameters of 85.5cm and 86.6cm, and a couple trees were young with diameters of 6.2cm, 9.7cm and 9.9cm, but most were of average size. These variety of plants were able to survive here because of the mild, but primarily moisturous environmental conditions.

McNab, W. Henry. “A topographic index to quantify the effect of mesascale landform on site productivity.” Experiment Station. 23 Oct. 1992. Web. 27 Oct. 2012.