AN INVENTORY OF THE SIGNIFICANT NATURAL AREAS OF HOKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

Bruce Sorrie Inventory Biologist

North Carolina Natural Heritage Program Office of Conservation and Community Affairs Department of Environment and Natural Resources Raleigh, NC

Funding provided by the North Carolina Natural Heritage Trust Fund and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service

September 2004 Hoke County Natural Area Inventory

ANTIOCH BAY COMPLEX

Site Significance: national Size: 772 acres USGS Quadrangle: Red Springs Ownership: The Nature Conservancy, private

SIGNIFICANT FEATURES: Antioch Bay is the best example of a clay-based Carolina bay in the state and one of the best in the country. It combines large size, excellent quality natural community, and high ranked populations of numerous rare and animals. In all, ten rare plants and seven rare animals have been documented, including one Federally Endangered (FE), Michaux’s sumac (Rhus michauxii), and two Federal Species of Concern (FSC), Boykin’s lobelia () and awned meadow-beauty ( aristosa). At least sixteen species of amphibians breed here. The Cypress Savanna natural community in Antioch Bay is considered the finest example of this rare habitat in North Carolina. Antioch Bay, Dial Bay, and Plum Thicket form a complex that is critical to long-term viability of flora and fauna, especially for amphibians which require wetlands for breeding and uplands for the non-breeding months.

LANDSCAPE RELATIONSHIPS: This Significant Natural Heritage Area (SNHA) is located in southern Hoke County, in the triangle formed by NC route 211, Cope Road (SR 1447), and Balfour Road (SR 1436). Antioch Bay, Dial Bay, a small area known as Plum Thicket, and a small un-named bay are included within this SNHA. The site lies on a low upland flat, midway between Raft Swamp and Little Raft Swamp. Hamby’s Bay SNHA lies 1.8 miles to the northeast. SITE DESCRIPTION: Antioch Bay is a superb example of a clay-based Carolina bay and is one of only a handful of high quality clay-based bays remaining in the state. It is an elliptical depression oriented along a northwest-southeast axis and with a low sand rim at the southeast end and along the east side. A clay substrate perches water, resulting in periodic ponding. During inundations, the community is dominated by coarse emergent sedges, particularly Carey’s beaksedge (Rhynchospora careyana). In dry years, grasses, sedges, and colorful wildflowers are patch dominants. At all times, an open canopy of pond cypress () dominates, with scattered swamp black gum (Nyssa biflora). Beneath the cypress are flowering stands of marsh fleabane (Pluchea rosea), yellow polygala (), awned meadow-beauty, lanceleaf sabatia (Sabatia difformis), and flaxleaf gerardia (Agalinis linifolia). Florida peanut-grass (Amphicarpum muehlenbergianum), one of only three populations in North Carolina, reaches its northern range limit here. The margins of the bay have an abrupt zone of hardwood trees, shrubs, and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda); pines invade the bay during dry years. The sand rim is fire-suppressed and supports a low diversity Dry Oak-Hickory Forest mixed with loblolly pines. Adjacent uplands support farmland, pastures, and some houses.

Dial Bay naturally holds less water than most clay-based bays and has a higher proportion of loam in the soil. As a result, the plant community over most of the bay is a mix of hardwoods and pines with scattered pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens), over a shrub layer. This

231 community appears to be an extreme variant of Cypress Savanna in which cypress is a minor component, further modified by logging and fire. Hardwoods include swamp black gum, red maple (Acer rubrum), sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua), water oak (Quercus nigra), and sweetbay (Magnolia virginiana); pines are loblolly and pond pine (Pinus serotina). Shrubs form patches with grassy openings; they include fetterbush (Lyonia lucida), sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), gallberry (Ilex glabra), black highbush blueberry (Vaccinium fuscatum), and horse sugar (Symplocos tinctoria). Throughout, greenbrier (Smilax rotundifolia) and sawbrier (S. glauca) are common. Herbs are sparse except in openings. One unusual species here is pinebarren peanut-grass (Amphicarpum purshii), a curious species which produces underground as well as above-ground spikelets; this is the only known Hoke County population and the inland-most in the state. The southern three quarters of the bay was selectively logged about seven years ago. The northern quarter of the bay is completely open as a result of a hot fire following recent cutting. Just a few pond cypress remain. Warty panic-grass (Panicum verrucosum) is dominant. Wet depressions support wool-sedge (Scirpus cyperinus), broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia), redroot ( caroliniana), meadow-beauties (Rhexia spp.), glaucescent sedge (Carex glaucescens), beaksedges (Rhynchospora spp.), and Virginia chain-fern (Woodwardia virginica). In these depressions also grow three rare plants, including one of only two populations of Georgia nutsedge (Scleria georgiana) in Hoke. The sand rim along the southwestern side of the bay is fire-suppressed oak-hickory-loblolly pine, but still retains a number of pyrophytic herbs and grasses.

Plum Thicket is primarly a second-growth loblolly pine woodland with oaks, dogwood (Cornus florida), and sassafras (Sassafras albidum) in the understory. A large population of Michaux’s sumac occurs here. Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) forms dense tangles to the detriment of some sumac, yet most of the sumac plants are robust and this continues to be one of the most viable populations in existence.

MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION: Measures need to be in place to ensure that runoff from adjacent agricultural fields does not enter the bays, since agrochemicals and nutrients pose a threat to the natural plant communities. Over the long-term, it may be wise to purchase some of the cropland and take it out of cultivation. The small pond located at the west edge of Antioch Bay was a serious threat to the amphibian community, since residents in the neighboring area occasionally stocked it with fish; in autumn of 2002 the pond was filled in. Dial Bay needs active management to fill a drainage ditch. Occasional prescribed fire in the bays will eliminate most loblolly pine and sweetgum, thus maintaining herbaceous diversity. Antioch Bay is owned and protected by The Nature Conservancy, but Dial Bay and Plum Thicket are privately owned and not specifically protected for conservation.

NATURAL COMMUNITIES: Cypress Savanna, Dry Oak-Hickory Forest.

RARE PLANTS: Florida peanut-grass (Amphicarpum muehlenbergianum), branched hedge-hyssop (Gratiola ramosa), sarvis holly (Ilex amelanchier), Boykin’s lobelia (Lobelia boykinii, FSC), Bosc’s bluet (Oldenlandia boscii), awned meadow-beauty (Rhexia aristosa,

232 FSC), Michaux’s sumac (Rhus michauxii, FE), quillwort arrowhead ( isoetiformis), Georgia nutsedge (Scleria georgiana), netted nutsedge (Scleria reticularis).

RARE ANIMALS: Mabee’s salamander (Ambystoma mabeei), tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum), chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia), dwarf salamander (silver morph, Eurycea quadridigitata), ornate chorus frog (Pseudacris ornata), glossy crayfish snake (Regina rigida). Carolina gopher frogs (Rana capito, FSC) were introduced here in 1989, but there is no evidence of breeding.

REFERENCES: Nifong, T. 1982. The “Clay Subsoil” Carolina Bays of North Carolina. Dept. of Botany, UNC Chapel Hill and The Nature Conservancy, NC Chapter.

Sorrie, B.A. 2003. Site Survey Report: Antioch Bay. NC Natural Heritage Program, Office of Conservation and Community Affairs, DENR, Raleigh, NC.

233