Chapter 4 Habitats
4.4.15 Piedmont and Coastal Plain Oak Forest 4.4.15.1 Ecosystem Description
Classification of the Natural Communities of North Carolina, Fourth Approximation (Schafale 2024) includes this natural community as Piedmont and Coastal Plain Oak Forests Theme. They are the predominant natural forests of the Piedmont, with the exception of the foothills area, and are limited in extent but widespread in dissected uplands in the Coastal Plain (Schafale 2024) . There are several subtypes associated with this community.
• Dry Basic Oak-Hickory Forest • Dry-Mesic Basic Oak-Hickory Forest (Piedmont, Coastal Plain subtypes) • Dry-Mesic Oak-Hickory Forest (Piedmont, Coastal Plain subtypes) • Dry Oak-Hickory Forest (Piedmont, Coastal plain subtypes) • Mixed Moisture Hardpan Forest • Piedmont Monadnock Forest (Typic, Pine, Heath subtypes) • Swamp Island Evergreen Forest
Oak forests can occur on many different well-drained upland soil types in the Piedmont and less sandy soil types in the Coastal Plan (Schafale 2024) . These forests may have a closed or nearly closed canopy where not broken by gaps, a moderate-density understory, and a patchy sparse- to-moderate shrub layer (Schafale 2024) . 4.4.15.2 Location of Habitat Most Oak Forests in the Piedmont are found on upland slopes and ridgetops while Coastal Plain examples are found on dissected slopes of stream and river bluffs. Examples of Piedmont and Oak Forests can be found on several public lands, including Caswell Game Lands, William B. Umstead State Park, Morrow Mountain State Park, Hanging Rock State Park, Kings Mountain Ridge, and Uwharrie National Forest. In the Coastal Plain, they occur on the Croatan National Forest. 4.4.15.3 Problems Affecting Habitats Development. The greatest threats to remaining examples of Oak-hickory forests are destruction and degradation associated with development and conversion to successional forests by logging. While all remaining Oak-hickory forests regenerated after past logging, present-day harvests often result in regeneration by species other than oaks. Conservation of the best examples and areas important to landscape connectivity is the most important action needed for this habitat. Fragmentation. As with other formerly widespread community types, fragmentation is a concern. Past and ongoing land use changes associated with development not only reduce the extent of habitat but leave remaining Oak-hickory communities as isolated patches. While this habitat remains common and most of its component species are widespread, most natural Oak-
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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