Chapter 4 Habitats
4.3.9 Nonalluvial Mineral Wetlands 4.3.9.1 Ecosystem Description
Nonalluvial mineral wetlands occur on flat, poorly drained areas of the outer Coastal Plain and occasionally in shallow depressions such as Carolina bays. There may also be sites that fit this community description located in the Sandhills ecoregion. The soils in these sites are saturated in the wetter seasons, may have shallow standing water, and do not experience overflow flooding. The wetness comes from poor drainage and sheet flow from adjoining peatlands. The soils are less acidic and infertile than the peat soils of pocosins, but they do not have the regular nutrient input of river floodplains. Organic deposits are generally lacking, though occasional examples are found on organic soils where some other factor offsets the tendency of these soils to support pocosins. In the wettest areas, Bald Cypress, Swamp Black Gum, and Red Maple dominate. Where these areas transition to peatland, Loblolly Pine, Pond Pine, and Atlantic White Cedar may also be present. In less saturated nonalluvial wetlands, trees characteristic of bottomland hardwood systems dominate, such as Cherrybark Oak, Laurel Oak, Swamp Chestnut Oak, Tulip Poplar, Sweetgum, American Elm, and Red Maple. There are four community themes in this community that differ in wetness and the nature of the soil (Schafale 2024) . • Non-riverine swamp forest (cypress-gum, mixed, poplar-pawpaw, sweetgum subtypes) occur in the wettest sites. They are dominated by trees tolerant of extreme wetness, such as Bald Cypress, Swamp Black Gum, and Red Maple • Non-riverine wet hardwood forest (oak flat and oak-gum slough subtypes) occur in less wet areas. They are dominated by trees typically called “bottomland hardwoods”. The undergrowth is usually open beneath the closed canopy, but sometimes dense cane or shrubs occur. • Wet marl forest occurs where marl or limestone occurs near the surface and affects the soil. This extremely rare community is completely isolated and is fragmented. Although they are wet, these soils are not acidic and are more fertile than most Coastal Plain soils. The vegetation is dominated by a diverse mixture of tree, shrub, and herb layers. Dwarf Palmetto is an abundant and distinctive part of the shrub layer. • Peatland Atlantic White Cedar forests are dominated by Chamaecyparis thyoides . Stands are regenerated by catastrophic disturbance and stands are likely to be naturally even aged.
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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