Partners in Flight Bird Conservation Plan for The South Atlantic Coastal Plain (Physiographic Area 03) Partners in Flight SOUTH ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN PARTNERS IN FLIGHT BIRD CONSERVATION PLAN (Physiographic Area #03) Version 1.0 May 2001 Written by: William C. Hunter, Lori Peoples, and Jaime Collazo William C. Hunter* Lori H. Peoples and Jaime A. Collazo U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service North Carolina Cooperative Research Unit 1875 Century Boulevard, Suite 420 North Carolina State University Atlanta, GA 30345 Raleigh, NC 27695 404/679-7130 (FAX 7285)
[email protected] *Send reviews, questions, or comments to this address Front cover illustration from ‘All the Birds of North America’ by Jack Griggs, courtesy of HarperCollins publishers. SOUTH ATLANTIC COASTAL PLAIN BIRD CONSERVATION PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The South Atlantic Coastal Plain, one of four coastal plain divisions recognized by Partners in Flight, is an extensive area with a high diversity of habitat types and associated bird species. Although broadly similar to other coastal plain divisions, several key habitat features distinguish the South Atlantic Coastal Plain and provide unique opportunities for conservation measures. The South Atlantic Coastal Plain is home to the largest forested floodplains outside of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain and includes unique non-alluvial wetlands such as the Great Dismal Swamp, pocosins, and Carolina bays. In addition, the largest remnants of former longleaf pine ecosystems and the best remaining examples of "natural" barrier and sea islands and maritime forests and woodlands are found in the South Atlantic Coastal Plain. Due to the diversity of habitat within the physiographic area, several habitat- planning units have been utilized in order to aid in conservation and management planning.