|
26
<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 oakD, 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
<br />
|