Munity Coastal Plain Pondshore Community

Coastal Plain Pondshore Community State Rank: S3 - Vulnerable

within ponds vary, and zones Coastal Plain Pondshore Communities change width and species occur on exposed shores of ponds in composition from year to year. glacial outwash in the coastal plain where water levels are controlled by Differentiating from seasonal groundwater changes; The Related Communities: herbaceous flora has a distinct southern Coastal Plain Pondshore component; Communities are in the coastal species that can be locally abundant, plain, generally on sand around growing mixed with more common plants ponds in closed basins that Coastal Plain Pondshore with vegetation zones. typical of dry grasslands (such as little intersect groundwater that affect Photo: Patricia Swain, NHESP. bluestem) or marshes (including rushes, pond levels. The seasonally and sedges, bonesets, and purple gerardia). A annually fluctuating water table Description: Coastal Plain Pondshores characteristic zonation pattern, correlated typically leaves an exposed shoreline by which occur only on coastal plain ponds. (CPPS) are herbaceous communities with flooding regime, from dry to late summer that supports common and Coastal plain pondshores are important characterized by a distinct coastal plain waterline is: 1. Upland oak/pine forest; 2. rare, often coastal or southern, herbaceous habitat for dragonflies and damselflies flora on exposed pondshores in Shrub border dominated by highbush species. Coastal Plain Pondshores – (over 45 species are known to occur on southeastern Massachusetts. Coastal plain blueberry associated with sweet pepper- Inland Variant also occur in closed basins coastal plain ponds). They are also ponds are shallow, highly acidic, low bush, and green briar; 3. An intermediate in sandy outwash, but are in the important habitat for painted, musk, nutrient groundwater ponds in sandy area of beach provides habitat for most of Connecticut River Valley. Some, but spotted, and snapping turtles, and the glacial outwash, with no inlet or outlet. the species of the Coastal Plain Pondshore fewer, coastal plain species grow in them. federally endangered northern red-bellied Water rises and falls with changes in the Community. Emergent exposed Acidic Pondshore/Lakeshore Community cooters. Larger pond and pondshores are water table, typically leaving an exposed pondshore dominated by slender-leaved is broadly defined, variable, and includes used by migrating and wintering shoreline in late summer. Annual and flat-topped goldenrod, pondshore rush, shorelines not explicitly included in waterfowl. inter-annual fluctuations in water levels rose coreopsis and golden pert, with coastal plain pondshores, the inland are key to maintaining the community: beaksedge, lance-leaf violet, and dwarf St. variant, or calcareous ponds. The shore Examples with Public Access: low water years eliminate obligate aquatic John's-wort; 4. Semipermanently flooded line is often not distinct, merging into Myles Standish State Forest, Carver; plants and allow adapted plants to grow zone characterized by one or more of the marsh or other wetlands. Many ponds Mary Dunn Ponds WMA, Hyannis; and high water years limit invasion by following: bayonet rush, spike-rushes, or have inflow or outflows. Calcareous Nickerson State Park, Brewster. woody species. The community develops pipewort; and 5. Hydromorphic rooted Pondshores/Lakeshores occur in the best in small ponds or bays of larger vegetation in deeper water including Marble Valleys of Berkshire County, ponds with little space for wind sweep yellow water- around ponds that have calcium in the that causes wave and ice damage along lily, white water water. Freshwater Mud Flat Communities shorelines on large ponds. The substrates -lily and are within ponds rather than along shores. are usually sand, sometimes with cobbles; Robbins' spike- Mud flats in Coastal Plain Ponds are a surface layer of organic muck occurs on rush. Not every treated as part of the pondshore some ponds and pondshores. pond has every community. zone, shores Characteristic Species: Coastal Habitat for Associated Fauna: Plain Pondshore Communities are Plymouth gentian, Coastal Plain Pondshore Communities composed of a mixture of herbaceous and a CPPS specialist. Photo: Jennifer and ponds provide habitat for many state CPPS, sandy shoreline in low water year. Photo: graminoid plants that include state-rare Garrett, NHESP. rare animal and plant species, some of Jennifer Garrett, NHESP.

From: Classification of Natural Communities of Massachusetts htthttpp://www;mass;gov/nhesp/://www;mass;gov/nhesp/ Updated: 2016 Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Division of FishFisheeriesries & Wildlife, 1 Rabbit Hill Rd;, Westborough, M! 01581 (508) 389-6360