Chapter 4 Habitats
stream. Like rocky summits, the rock is usually fractured and supports very patchy vegetation that includes woody plants rooted in crevices, as well as herbs in soil pockets, and mosses and lichens on bare rock. The Mountain and Piedmont/Coastal Plain types have flora typical of their regions, often combining plants from adjacent communities with typical outcrop plants. North-facing cliffs have a cooler microclimate than the surrounding areas and sometimes harbor disjunct or regionally rare species characteristic of cooler, moister regions. In some cases, these species are believed to be remnants from more widespread populations that existed in the Ice Ages. In the Mountain ecoregion, south-facing cliffs may support species more typical of the warmer Piedmont or even Coastal Plain. The acidic, mafic, and calcareous types support different flora that reflect the rock chemistry. Mafic and calcareous cliffs contain calcium-loving species that do not occur on the more common Acidic cliffs. The floristic differences between calcareous and mafic cliffs are more subtle and reflect differences in the balance of basic elements. Piedmont/Coastal Plain heath bluffs differ somewhat from the other community types in that they have little bare rock. They do, however, lack a closed tree canopy, apparently because of steepness. They are characterized by a dense shrub layer of Mountain Laurel or Catawba Rhododendron, which are otherwise essentially absent in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain. These communities occur on north-facing bluffs, and the cool microclimate is believed to be important to these species. Granitic flatrock communities occur on flat to gently sloping exfoliated outcrops of granitic rocks and are scattered throughout the Piedmont region, from Virginia to Alabama. The rock outcrop is generally flush with the surrounding soil and has only minor irregularities. These communities are somewhat related to the granitic dome communities of the upper Piedmont and Mountains in that vegetation is sparse and very patchy. On bare rock, soil mats that accumulate in moss clumps undergo a gradual development, deepening and being invaded by a succession of plants. 4.4.9.2 Location of Habitat Low-elevation cliff and rock outcrop habitat is spread throughout the Mountain and upper Piedmont ecoregions. Piedmont examples include Sauratown Mountains inclusive of Pilot Mountain, and the Crowders, Uwharrie, and South mountains. Flatrock communities are found primarily in the eastern Piedmont. Other habitat types are present even into the Coastal Plain, such as heath bluffs.
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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