4.3 Wetland Natural Communities
• Low pocosins occur on the deepest peats, in the interior of large domed peatlands, and in the largest peat-flled Carolina bays. Tey are the wettest, most nutrient-poor sites and support only low shrubs and scattered stunted pond pine trees. Often beds of pitcher plants and sphagnum moss cover large areas and bog species such as cranber- ries occasionally occur. • High pocosins occur in somewhat less deep peats. Te shrubs, up to six or eight feet tall and impenetrably dense, are generally laced together with greenbriers and punctuated with sparse stunted pond pines. • Pond Pine woodlands occur on shallow organic deposits on the edge of peatlands and in shallow swales and bays, where tree roots can grow through the thin organic layer to reach mineral soil below. Pond Pines are tall and often fairly dense and the shrub layer is tall and usually very thick. In some pond pine woodlands the dense shrub layer is replaced by canebrakes. • Peatland Atlantic White Cedar forests occur in sites similar to pond pine woodland or high pocosin but are dominated by Atlantic White Cedar instead of pond pine. In the few remaining places where fre is frequent, streamhead Atlantic White Cedar forests are dominated by Atlantic White Cedar, though any of the species of the streamhead pocosin type also may be present in small numbers. Te canopy is often dense enough that the shrub layer is fairly open. Atlantic White Cedars are sensitive to fre, but depend on fre to prepare a seedbed for regeneration. Tese communities probably can persist only where fre is infrequent; however, fre suppression for many decades can lead to the cedars being overtaken by widespread hardwood species such as Red Maple or Sweetgum. • Bay forests may occur in similar sites, but they are usually more associated with creeks draining out of peatland pocosins. Tey have a canopy dominated by evergreen hard- wood Loblolly Bay, Redbay, and/or Sweetbay. Te 2005 WAP describes Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain pocosin communities as a priority hab- itat (see Chapter 5) (NCWRC 2005) . 4.3.8.2 Location of Habitat Extensive examples of pond pine woodlands exist in the Green Swamp, at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuges, Holly Shelter Game Land, and in Dare County at the Dare Bombing Range. Atlantic White Cedar-dominated communities still exist at Alligator River and Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuges, and in the Great Dismal Swamp. Tere is a signifcant sized stand of Atlantic White Cedar in
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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