Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood Forest

Macrogroup: Northern Hardwood & Conifer your State Natural Heritage Ecologist for more information about this habitat. this about information more for Ecologist Heritage State Natural your Contact based inventory. field for substitute a not data is and current based on distribution a mapmodeled is This

Description: A hardwood forest of the coastal plain with a significant component of mesophytic (moist but non-wetland) species, such as American beech or southern sugar maple. Upland and bottomland oaks at the mid range of moisture tolerance are usually also present, particularly white oak, but sometimes also southern red oak, cherrybark oak, or Shumard oak. Loblolly pine is sometimes present, but it is unclear if it is a natural component or has entered only as a result of past cutting. Understories are usually well- developed. Shrub and herb layers may be sparse or moderately dense. Ranging south from New Jersey to Georgia, these mostly large patch coastal plain forests State Distribution: DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA occupy a variety of moist sites that are naturally sheltered from frequent fire. Total Habitat Acreage: 1,932,352 Ecological Setting and Natural Processes: Percent Conserved: 12.1% Found on lower slopes, along streams and rivers, on mesic State State GAP 1&2 GAP 3 Unsecured flats between drier pine-dominated uplands and floodplains, State Habitat % Acreage (acres) (acres) (acres) and on local raised areas within bottomland terraces or wet VA 58% 1,116,922 11,491 76,722 1,028,709 flats. Soils are variable in texture and pH, excluding only the MD 29% 568,784 22,712 73,354 472,719 coarsest sands. Fire is not an important disturbance in this system. NJ 7% 137,699 23,430 8,031 106,238 DE 6% 107,687 3,634 14,012 90,041 DC 0% 1,122 0 11 1,111 PA 0% 139 0 0 139 Similar Habitat Types: Often adjacent to North Atlantic Coastal Plain Hardwood Forests (in lower landscape position). Differences from mesic forests of the Piedmont are sometimes fairly subtle; substantial floristic differences, however, can exist between examples of this system on acidic and basic substrates.

Crosswalk to State Wildlife Action Plans: Crosswalk to State Name Examples: Hardwood Forest - Mixed oak-beech forests (DC), Coastal Coastal Plain Oak - Beech Forest (MD), Southern Coastal Plain Plain Upland Forests - Tuliptree Rich Wood (Coastal Plain Mesic Mixed Hardwood Forest (VA) variant) (DE), Mesic Deciduous Forests (MD), Forest Habitat - Deciduous Forest (VA) Places to Visit this Habitat: Habitat Patch Distribution Blackbird State Forest | DE Redden State Forest | DE 1,000,000 800,000 Patuxent Wildlife Research Refuge | MD 600,000 Belleplain State Forest | NJ 400,000 Caledon State Park | VA Acres 200,000 0

Associated Species: Appendix lists scientific names 0 to 1 1 to 5 5 to 10 1000+ PLANTS: American holly (Ilex opaca), American hornbeam 10 to 100 (Carpinus caroliniana), American strawberry-bush (Euonymus 100 to 1000 americanus), big-leaf snowbell (Styrax grandifolius), Christmas Patch Size Classes fern (Polystichum acrostichoides), downy rattlesnake-plantain The average patch size for this habitat is 4 acres and the largest single patch is (Goodyera pubescens), flowering dogwood (Cornus florida), 1,277 acres. This chart shows the proportion of the habitat that is in each patch-size New York fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis), silky camellia class. (Stewartia malacodendron),Virginia heartleaf (Hexastylis virginica), Small-flower Baby-blue-eyes (Nemophila aphylla), Age Class Distribution Yellow-eyed Grass (Xyris difformis), Broad-leaved Beardgrass 50 (Gymnopogon brevifolius), Evergreen Bayberry (Morella 40 caroliniensis), Black Snakeroot (Zigadenus densus), Capitate 30 Beakrush (Rhynchospora cephalantha), Seymeria (Seymeria 20 cassioides), Wand-like Three-awn Grass (Aristida 10 purpurascens) 0 Percent of Habitat

1 to 20 20 to 40 40 to 60 60 to 80 80 to 100100 to 140 Age (Years)

This chart shows the average age of trees associated with this habitat based on forest Inventory data. For non-forested systems or small habitats the average age is Species of Concern (G1-G4): Appendix lists scientific names influenced by the surroundings. INSECTS: seth forest water scavenger beetle (hydrochus spangleri) Predicted Habitat Loss to Development

PLANTS: Canby's bulrush (Schoenoplectus etuberculatus), 1,850,000 Canby's lobelia (Lobelia canbyi), early paspalum (Paspalum 1,800,000 praecox), spiked hoary-pea (Tephrosia spicata), virginia 1,750,000 heartleaf (Hexastylis virginica) 1,700,000

Acreage 1,650,000 1,600,000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050 2060 Decade

This chart shows the predicted loss of habitat over the next five decades (120,282 acres) if loss continues at the same rate as 1990-2000. The average rate of loss is 2,406 acres per year.

Habitat Connectedness Index

80 60 40 20 0 Percent of Habitat

0 to 25 25 to 50 50 to 75 75 to 100 Degree of Fragmentation (0=Highly Fragmented & 100= Highly Connected)

This metric measures how connected or fragmented the land directly surrounding (18 © Robert Coxe (Delaware Species Conservation & Research Program) square miles) the habitat is, this the chart shows the proportion of the habitat in each connectedness class.

Southern Atlantic Coastal Plain Mesic Hardwood Forest http://nature.ly/HabitatGuide