Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
.T. <br /> • <br /> 130 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY NATURAL AREAS SURVEY. SITE DESCRIPTION. <br /> Site name: Eubanks Road Montmorillonite Forest <br /> Site number: N04 <br /> significance: 3 - County High . Integrity: 3 - Good <br /> Threat Status: 4 - Slight • <br /> • <br /> Location: North of Eubanks Road (CR 1727) ; west of Chapel <br /> Hill Municipal Landfill. . <br /> USGS Quad: Chapel Hill <br /> Approx. acreage: 8 <br /> Jurisdiction: Duke University; Rural Buffer <br /> Reasons for significance: The community type is upland <br /> montmorillonite forest, an unusual habitat characterized by <br /> xeric tree species growing on an impervious montmorillonite <br /> clay. <br /> General description: The forest at this site is an unusual <br /> combination of hardwoods, dominated by post oak (Quercus <br /> stellate,) and blackjack oak (Q. marilandica) . The underlying <br /> soil, of Enon series, has a high shrink-swell capacity and <br /> forms an impervious clay layer. The canopy is stunted and <br /> rather open, and contains not only the post and blackjack <br /> oaks but also white oak (Ouercus albs) , willow oak (Q. <br /> phellos) , mockernut hickory (Carve tomentosa) , pignut hickory <br /> (C. glabra) , and scattered loblolly pines (Pinus taeda) . Red <br /> cedar (Juniperus virginiana) is particularly abundant in the <br /> subcanopy, along with sourwood (Oxvdendrum arboreum) , red <br /> maple (Acer rubrum) , and black gum (Nyssa svlvatica) . The <br /> herb layer is extremely sparse, consisting of such trailing <br /> vines as cow itch vine (Campsks radicans) , virginia creeper <br /> (Parthenocissus, quinouefolius,) , and Japanese honeysuckle <br /> (Lonicera -iaponica) , along with broomstraw (Andropogon <br /> sconarius) . Sphagnum moss is common in small depressions <br /> that retain surface water after rains, but the.overall dry <br /> nature of the site is demonstrated by the presence of <br /> reindeer lichen (Fladonia sp.) . <br /> These types of forests with the stunted, open canopy of <br /> post oak and blackjack oak are very uncommon in North <br /> Carolina, where they are restricted to the Piedmont, on soils <br /> of Enon, Iredell, or similar series. This site in the <br /> Blackwood Division of Duke Forest is, an excellent example of <br /> • this type of Montmorillonite Forest. <br /> Protection Status: Duke Forest multiple use lands <br /> surrounding land use: <br /> N: Agriculture <br /> ' <br /> E: Landfill <br /> S: Forest <br /> ""r W: Forest <br /> • <br /> 152 • <br /> II . <br />