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<br />4.1. Floral Communities and Associated Fauna
<br />Four communities were identified within the study area: Dry -Mesic Oak- Hickory Forest -
<br />Piedmont Subtype, Piedmont Headwater Stream Forest -Typic Subtype, Piedmont
<br />Semipermanent Impoundment -Shrub Subtype, Mixed Pine Forest, and Maintained /Disturbed
<br />(Figure 2). A description of each community type and the fauna associated with it follows.
<br />4.1.1. Dry -Mesic Oak - Hickory Forest - Piedmont Subtype (37.7% coverage)
<br />The Dry -Mesic Oak - Hickory Forest community is found on the parcels located north of
<br />Millhouse Road and west of New Jericho Road (Figure 2). The parcel to the east of New Jericho
<br />Road is also used as the septic spray field for the EWS campus. Access was restricted to this
<br />area by NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources regulations (NCDENR). Based
<br />on surveys traversing the boundary of this parcel, it was included in this community. This
<br />community is typically dominated by various oak and hickory species along with varying
<br />amounts of pine, maple, and poplar. Soils are typically acidic and support acid tolerant species.
<br />Canopy species observed include American beech, black oak D, loblolly pine D, Eastern red- cedar,
<br />pignut hickory, post oak, red maple, scarlet oak, shortleaf pine, slippery elm, tulip poplar,
<br />Virginia pineD, white ash, white oakD, Southern red oak, sweetgum, and sycamore.
<br />Subcanopy /shrub species include American beech, American holly, black cherry, Blue Ridge
<br />blueberry, Callery pear, common persimmon, downy arrow —wood, eastern red - cedar, flowering
<br />dogwood, hillside blueberry, painted buckeye, possomhaw, red maple, slippery elm, sourwood,
<br />southern blackhaw, southern red oak, sugar maple, tulip poplar, virginia pine, white oak,
<br />sweetgum, sycamore, and winged elm. This layer also includes the invasive autumn olive,
<br />Chinese privet, and nandina. Herbaceous species observed in this community include Christmas
<br />fern, crane -fly orchid, poison ivy, rattlesnake plantain, rattlesnake weed, southern grape fern, and
<br />striped wintergreen. The invasive Japanese honeysuckle vine is also present in this community.
<br />Faunal species expected to occur in the community are white - tailed deer *, raccoon, grey fox, and
<br />the eastern gray squirrel *. Bird species typical for this community type include yellow bellied
<br />sapsucker *, red bellied woodpecker *, downy woodpecker *, hairy woodpecker *, northern
<br />flicker *, Carolina chickadee *, northern cardinal, tufted titmouse *, yellow - rumped warbler *,
<br />northern mockingbird, and American robin *. Predator and scavenger birds typically include the
<br />red- shouldered hawks* and turkey and black vultures, respectively. Marbled salamander,
<br />redback salamander, red - spotted newt, spotted salamander, white - spotted slimy salamander,
<br />eastern box turtle, eastern fence lizard, eastern garter snake, racer, rat snake, ringneck snake, and
<br />worm snake are also expected to occur in the community.
<br />While conducting the field survey, Keith Bartholomew of EWS, indicated the location of a
<br />ephemeral seep located near the western edge of this community. During the field assessment
<br />the seep was dry. Seeps offer unique habitat for many faunal species including frogs and
<br />salamanders. Species that could utilize this transient habitat include American toad, Fowlers
<br />toad, northern cricket frog, spring peeper, southern two -lined salamander, and three -lined
<br />salamander.
<br />EWS Biological Inventory March 2015
<br />Catena Job# 6210 Page 3
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