Biological Report 30 May 1995 National Biological Service
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Biological Report 30 May 1995 National Biological Service The National Biological Service publishes five technical report series. Manuscripts are accepted from Service employees or contractors, students and faculty associated with cooperative research units, and other persons whose work is sponsored by the Service. Manuscripts are received with the understanding that they are unpublished. Manuscripts receive anonymous peer review. The final decision to publish lies with the editor. Editorial Staff Series Descrhtions WAGING EDITOR Biological Report ISSN 0895-1926 Paul A. Opler -Technical papers about applied research of limited scope. Subjects include new information arising from comprehensive studies, surveys and inventories, effects of land use on fish ASSISTANT BRANCH LEADER and wildlife, diseases of fish and wildlife, and developments Paul A. Vohs in technology. Proceedings of technical conferences and symposia may be published in this series. SCIENTIFIC EDITORS Fish and Wildlife Leaflet ISSN 0899461X Elizabeth D. Rockwell Summaries of technical information for readers of non- James R. Zuboy technical or semitechnical material. Subjects include topics of current interest, results of inventories and surveys, management techniques, and descriptions of imported fish TECHNICAL EDITORS and wildlife and their diseases. Jerry D. Cox Fish and Wildlife Research ISSN 1040-2411 Deborah K. Harris Papers on experimental research, theoretical presentations, and interpretive literature reviews. VISUAL INFORMATION SPECIALIST North American Fauna ISSN 0078-1304 Monographs of long-term or basic research on faunal and Constance M. Lemos floral life histories, distributions, population dynamics, and taxonomy and on community ecology. EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Resource Publication ISSN 0163-4801 Martha W. Nichols Semitechnical and nonexperimental technical topics including surveys; data, status, and historical reports; handbooks; checklists; manuals; annotated bibliographies; EDITORIAL CLERK and workshop papers. Donna D. Tait Copies of this publication may be obtained from the Publications Unit, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, I849 C Street, N.W., Mail Stop 130, Webb Building, Washington, D.C. 20240 (call 703-358-17111, or may be purchased from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, Virginia 22161-0002 (call toll free l-800-553-6847). Biological Report30 May 1995 BY Vincent J. Bellis Janet R. Keough, Project Officer National Biological Service Southern Science Center 700 Cajundome BZud. Lafayette, Louisiana 70506 U.S. Department of the Interior National Biological Service Washington, D.C. 20240 Page Preface .................................................. Abstract .................................................1 CHAPTER 1. General Introduction .................................. 3 Definitions ..............................................4 Maritime Shrub Community ................................... 4 Maritime Evergreen Forest .................................... 4 Maritime Deciduous Forest .................................... 5 Coastal Fringe Evergreen Forest ................................. 5 Coastal Fringe Sandhill ...................................... 6 Maritime Swamp Forest ..................................... 6 Maritime Shrub Swamp ..................................... 7 InterdunePond .......................................... 7 Geographical Distribution ...................................... 7 Barrier Island Origins ........................................ 9 CHAPTER 2. The Maritime Environment ...............................17 Introduction ............................................. 18 Climate.. ............................................ ..18 Oceanic Salts ............................................ .23 Soil Formation and Mineral Cycling ................................27 Hydrology .............................................. .29 Wetlands ............................................. ..3 1 Fire ................................................ ..3 3 CHAPTER 3. Flora of Maritime Forests ................................35 Introduction .............................................36 Latitudinal Gradient in Floristic Composition ...........................36 Donation ............................................. ..3 6 Succession ..............................................41 Origin of the Maritime Forest ....................................45 Fungi and Lichens ..........................................45 CHAPTER 4. Fauna of Maritime Forests ...............................47 Introduction .............................................48 Invertebrate Fauna .........................................48 Snails and Slugs (Pulmonate Castropods) ............................48 Spiders...............................................4 8 Insects ............................................. ...4 9 Insects of the forest floor .....................................49 Wasps ............................................. ..4 9 Blood-feeding arthropods ..................................... 50 Nuisance insects ..........................................50 Vertebrate Fauna ......................................... .50 Introduced Fauna ..........................................55 Introduction ............................................55 Domestic Animals .........................................56 Exotic Birds and Mammals .................................... 59 Fauna1 Diversity .........................................60 ii c ER 5. Management of Maritime Forests ...........................61 Introduction .............................................62 Management of Native Vegetation .................................63 IvIaritime Forest Fragmentation ...................................64 Effects of Highway Construction ..................................64 Recreational Impact 0x1 the Biota ..................................65 Effects of Subdivision Development on the Herp&ofawm ..................... 69 Fire Management ..........................................70 Rare Plants and Animals ......................................70 Current Status of Maritime Forests .................................72 Regulation of Development: A Case History from North Carolina ................ 72 CHAPTER 6. Research Needs .................. ..- . 75 Introduction .......................... 76 Ecological Questions ...................... , . 76 Management Needs ...................... 76 Acknowledgments ....................... .................. 77 References ........................... .................. 77 Appendix A. Draft Use Standards for Maritime Forest Areas of Environmental Concern................................................8 9 Appendix B. Checklist of Vertebrates Inhabiting the Barrier Islands of Georgia ......... 90 Figures Fig. 1.1. Composite location map of barrier islands of the Atlantic coast of United States ....... 8 Fig. 1.2. Cross-sections of Gulf coast barrier islands ......................... 10 Fig. 1.3. Formation of barrier islands by submergence ........................ 10 Fig. 1.4. Development of barrier islands through breaching of complex spits ............ 11 Fig. 1.5. Types of barrier islands forming the Outer Banks of North Carolina ........... 12 Fig. 1.6. Geologic age of the barrier islands of Georgia ........................ 13 Fig. 1.7. Areas of natural vegetation on barrier islands of the Atlantic coast of Florida from Duval County south to Volusia County ............................ 14 Fig. 1.8. Areas of natural vegetation on barrier islands of the Atlantic coast of Florida from Brevard County south to Dade County ............................ 15 Fig. 2.1. Zones and subzones of broad-leaved forest in Florida .................... 18 Fig. 2.2. Isoth-ms of mean daily minimum temperature of the coldest month in Florida .............................................. ..19 Fig. 2.3. Limits of the d&tfibutiOn of trees typical of three different forest types in Florida .............................................. ..2 0 . 111 Fig. 2.4. Hurricane probability at numbered stations along the Atlantic and gulf coasts of the United States .....................................21 Fig. 2.5. Live oak defoliated by Hurricane Hugo at Monck’s Corner, South Carolina ........ 22 Fig. 2.6, Loblolly pine damaged by Hurricane Hugo at Francis Marion National Forest, South Carolina ........................................ 23 Fig. 2.7. Depths and ages of sea level indicators from the Atlantic Continental Shelf of the United States ........................................ .23 Fig. 2.8. Canopy height and atmospheric contribution of selected salts of the maritime forest canopy at various distances from the ocean, Bogue Banks, North Carolina ............................................25 Fig. 2.9. Chronological pattern of chloride deposition into the maritime forest canopy at two locations on Bogue Banks, North Carolina .........................26 Fig. 2.10. Reference points for calculations of mineral inputs from salt aerosols at Bogue Banks, North Carolina .................................... 26 Fig. 2.11. Percent of salt spray collected at various points across a barrier island ......... 27 Fig. 2.12. Hydrologic cycle of a typical Holocene barrier island ...................30 Fig. 2.13. Idealized diagrammatic cross section of a barrier island, showing water-flow pattern in the freshwater lens ............................. 30 Fig. 3.1. Latitudinal range limits of 50 species of trees and shrubs reported in literature as forest