Basic Mesic Forest

This Community is very common on lower and middle slopes, with fertile soils that hold water well but do not remain saturated. Lush colonies of spring ephemerals and other wildflowers are characteristic in the spring, and found in rolling uplands and ravines. The understory tends to be dense with Spicebush and Pawpaw.

Table of Contents:

Identification

Seasonal Highlights

For detail on what to look for in different seasons of the year, click here.

Dominant and Common Species

Sparse Species

Restricted Species

Downloadable Files

This document contains the images found above and additional information that makes it a stand-alone resource. It is intended to be used to help guide restoration efforts in this community.

Basic Mesic 6055 Description.pdf

This Excel document contains extensive data related to the community. In addition to the Dominant, Common, Sparse, and Restricted Species listed in the charts above, it also contains information about the Rare Species. This file will address many needs for the most detailed user of the data. In the data, one can:

  • Compare species abundance in Northern Virginia to the State-wide level.

  • Sort or filter by species, common name, form, abundance category, constancy, and multiple other metrics and measures

  • Compare "Mean Cover" score to "Mean Cover when Present Score" across species.

Basic Mesic 6055 NOVA Data.xlsx