4.4 Terrestrial Communities
be made to protect mesic forests and their species assemblages. Conservation of larger natural areas that include adjacent communities will lead to greater viability for all communities present.
4.4.10 Piedmont and Mountain Dry Coniferous Woodlands 4.4.10.1 Ecosystem Description
Te vast majority of land in the Piedmont and Mountain ecoregions is dominated by hard- wood forests. Less common are dry coniferous forests, which occur at middle to lower elevations in several kinds of specialized sites that are drier than most environments. Tey occur primarily in the Mountains and are found in a few mountain-like sites in the Piedmont. Piedmont Longleaf Pine forests, although dominated by coniferous trees, are included with the more closely related dry Longleaf Pine forests ecosystem group rather than here. Tere are four community types associated with this ecosystem: pine–oak/ heath, Carolina Hemlock blufs, White Pine forests, and montane Red Cedar hardwood woodlands. • Te pine–oak/heath community occurs on sharp ridge tops and spur ridges, where shallow soils and exposure to drying winds and lightning prevent development of a closed hardwood forest. Extremely acidic soils, created by leaching and by the acid- ity of plant leaf litter, may also be a factor. Te canopy, typically composed of Pitch, Table Mountain, and/or Virginia pines, is generally open with a dense, tall shrub layer dominated by Mountain Laurel or rhododendron occurring beneath the canopy. Herbs are few and sparse, but characteristic acid-loving species often occur in openings among the shrubs. • Carolina Hemlock blufs occur in settings similar to pine–oak/heath, but usually more on steep bluf-like side slopes. Carolina Hemlock dominates the canopy with a shrub and herb layer similar to pine–oak/heath but possibly more open. • White pine forests are poorly understood communities. While White Pine is a common successional tree in mountain hardwood forests, natural forests of it most typically occur on the walls of steep gorges. • Montane red cedar-hardwood woodland occurs on shallow soils on gentle slopes. Smooth rock outcrops are usually found in association with it. Tese woodlands have an open canopy with patchy shrubs and grassy openings. A number of the species sug- gest that the soils are less acidic than typical mountain soils. Dry coniferous woodlands of the Piedmont and Mountain ecoregions are described as pri- ority habitats in the 2005 WAP (see Chapter 5) (NCWRC 2005) .
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2015 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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