Environments and Ecosystems of North
Joseph J. Luczkovich. Ph.D.
Institute for Coastal and Marine Resources and Department of Biology, N-418,
East Carolina University
252-328-1759 (ICMR) or 328-1847 (Biology)
*Written with David Knowles, Department of Biology, East
Click link below for PowerPoint Slide show from Dr. Luczkovich's Lectures
12 and 17 Sep 2001
the box that pops up, choose "Save File as...")
is a 24 MB file!!
What is an Ecosystem?
What is Biodiversity?
Definition of biodiversity - The number of different species, genes,
or ecosystems in a region represents the biological diversity of the region.
Some places have high biodiversity (rainforests, coral reefs, deep sea)
and some have low diversity (Arctic, salt marshes, harsh environments).
NC has intermediate levels of biological diversity, but what is present
today is declining.
measures - species richness
How humans can cause
declines in biodiversity
North Carolina Ecosystem Survey (Slide show)
North Carolina is located within thetemperate
deciduous forest global biome, however, a great variety of forest and
non-forest ecosystems may be found within the state. The temperature and
moisture regimes throughout North Carolina are relatively consistent but
topography, elevation, soils, hydrology, disturbance and land use history
combine to influence ecosystem and community composition, structure, and
The outline that follows provides you with a brief overview of the major
terrestrial and freshwater habitats of North Carolina (see Shafale and
Weakley 1990). There are three main physiographic regions in North
Carolina: the Appalachian Highlands, the Piedmont, and the
Plain. Each of these regions has a different geological and ecological
Map of the physiographic regions of NC
Geology: (2500’-6000’); 400 million years old; metamorphic rock
with igneous intrusions; acidic, shallow Entisols and Inceptisol on slopes,
Ultisols in basins
Mountain Bald: grasses, sedges, forbs, rhododendron; shrubs and
trees invading and sporadic; not above tree line; origin and maintenance
not fully understood possibly combined factors of fire, grazing, climate
and soil conditions
Spruce/Fir Forest: red spruce, Fraser fir in dense stands
Mesic Forest: American beech, red maple, white pine, red oak, chestnut
oak, rhododendron and mountain laurel on well-drained slopes; formerly
dominated by American chestnut (now extirpated)
Cove Forest: Carolina hemlock and Canadian hemlock, yellow poplar;
rich moist soils, high relative humidity, low light in sheltered coves
Mountain Bog and Fen: sphagnum, alder, red maple; small, isolated,
Mountain Stream: headwaters streams (1st order), high velocity,
cool temperature, high DO, low BOD; several species of endemic freshwater
mussels with very localized distributions, trout; TVA hydroelectric power
production facilities on larger rivers
Agriculture, Industry, Urbanization: pasturage, light industry (except
paper mill), logging (extensively deforested in early 1900’s but forests
were resilient), limited mining, hydroelectric power production, tourism,
road-building; National Forests: Pisgah and Nantahala, National Parks:
Great Smoky Mountains and Blue Ridge Parkway
Representative Locations: Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest in the Nantahala
National Forest, Linville Gorge in the Pisgah National Forest, Appalachian
Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway
near Grandfather Mountain, Jocassee Gorges State Park in Transylvania County
Geology (200’ - 2500’); remnant metamorphic mountains, dissected
plateaus, highly weathered Ultisols; upper soil horizons eroded, mass wasting
of soils is occurring still today (soils are eroding into the rivers)
Hardwood Forest: red oak, beech, hickory, maple, yellow poplar;
best examples on relatively undisturbed steep slopes
Mixed Pine/Hardwood Forest: same as above but with Virginia pine
and white pine; sites gentle slopes and flats that have been more frequently
Pine Plantation: virtual monocultures of Virginia pine, white pine
or loblolly pine
Sandhills: longleaf pine and wiregrass communities on nutrient poor
sand hills landforms
Rock Outcrop and Hemlock Bluff: plant community varies depending
upon rock type, soil pH, aspect; typically lichens, mosses, forbs, shrubs;
remnant stands of Carolina hemlock on north facing river gorges
Piedmont Streams: high velocity waters in rapids and boulder fields
alternating with stretches of calm low to moderate velocity waters; moderate
floodplain development; heavy silt load; fall line is the geologic transition
from piedmont to coastal plain, cities situated along fall line to access
hydropower and barge traffic
Reservoirs: artificial water impoundments for water supply and hydroelectric
power production; dams are impediments to anadramous and resident fish
Agriculture, Industry, Urbanization: extensively deforested in 1800’s
for agricultural production, massive soil erosion resulted; since 1920’s
and 1930’s forests have recovered but now are being fragmented by rapidly
increasing road building and residential and industrial development; today’s
piedmont is the state’s industrial and urban center (textile and furniture
industries, high technology, commerce); agricultural development consists
of pasturage for livestock, poultry operations, tobacco, limited row crops
Representative Locations: Eno River State Park, Uwharrie National
Forest, Weymouth Woods State Park
Geology: (0’ - 200’) sedimentary rock layers (limestone) underlying
deep Ultisol soils; marine deposition
Long-leaf Pine Savanna: one of the most extensive forest types in
Southeastern USA (click here to see a map) , but it is rare today;
dominated almost exclusively by longleaf pine with a wiregrass understory;
very high species diversity of herbaceous vegetation (as much as 50 species
/ m2); fire-tolerant and fire-dependent for regeneration; original
forested areas were converted to agricultural production, where forest
cover remained long-leaf was replaced by loblolly and hardwoods
Mixed Pine/Hardwood Forest: loblolly pine, sweetgum, maple, hickory,
white oak, water oak, willow oak
Pine Flatwoods: uneven-aged loblolly pine with deciduous species
Pine Plantation: even-aged monocultures of loblolly pine, ~50 year
Pine/Scrub: longleaf pine, turkey oak, wiregrass
Floodplain Forests: cypress, black gum, green ash, water oak, willow
Pocosin: wetland situated in deep organic soils (peats) dominated
by evergreen shrubs (Ericaceae), pond pine, titi, gallberry, and wax myrtle
Carolina Bays: thousands of shallow elliptical landforms of various
sizes but all oriented NE to SW; probably wind and wave scoured Pleistocene
formations; vegetation may include pocosins vegetation, also sweet bay,
loblolly bay and red bay
Sea level-controlled Fringing Forests: cypress, maple, tupelo gum
along low-salinity fringes of Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds
Maritime Forest: live oak , red cedar, loblolly pine, wax myrtle
located in isolated remnants on Outer Banks and NC sea islands; the northern-most
extent of cabbage palmetto (Sabal palmetto) is on Smith or Baldhead
Island in Brunswick County
Wetlands: the relatively flat and poorly drained topography of the
NC coastal plain creates to opportunity for extensive wetland development;
there are several wetland types in the coastal plain including: freshwater
marshes (cattails and rushes), and forested wetlands (floodplain swamps,
fringing swamps, pine flatwoods, and pocosins)
Coastal Plain Streams: relatively low velocity and low gradient,
sand, silt, and organic matter substrates, broad floodplains with levee
formations; potentially low DO high BOD during summer; rivers with piedmont
source (brown water rivers) have heavier silt and clay load ; rivers entirely
within the coastal plain (black water rivers) have reduce silt and clay
loads and coarse sand substrates (tea-colored stain due to leached organic
Coastal Plain Lakes: these are the only natural lakes in the state;
water-filled Carolina Bays (Singletary Lake and Bladen Lakes) or burned
pocosins (Lake Mattamuskeet and Lake Phelps)
Agriculture, Industry, Urbanization: extensive row-crop production
on upland soils, intensive livestock production (swine and poultry); light
industry, increasingly urbanized in coastal region and near commercial
Representative Locations: Goose Creek State Park, Croatan National
Forest, Otter Creek Natural Area (ECU), Carolina Beach State Park
Coastal Ocean - zone offshore of barrier islands out to edge of
continental shelf (salinity = 35 parts per thousand); Fishes: various
tunas, dolphin, jacks, marlin, king macerel, bluefish, groupers, seatrouts,
drums, croakers, etc.
Estuaries - where fresh water from rivers meets with seawater from
coastal ocean (salinity = 0 to 35 parts per thousand). Fishes: spots,
croakers, seatrouts, drums, spanish mackerel. Blue crab and shrimp are
important commercial invertebrate fisheries
Wetlands - seagrass meadows, coastal salt marshes (Spartina
and Juncus), forested wetlands along rivers, pocosins, fresh water
marshes; Fishes present: killifishes and mosquitofishes
Rivers - Black water rivers (Black River) and high turbidity surface
water rivers (Neuse and Tar/Pamlico); Fishes: sunfishes,robin,
largemouth and small mouth bass. See: Watershed
map of NC
Lakes - Lake Mattamuskeet - largest natural lake in NC; sunfishes,
largemouth bass, gar, herrings
Reservoirs - Man-made lakes behind dams; sunfishes, gizzard shad,
largemouth bass (introduced and non-native species present)
Human changes in NC Ecosystems
Presettlement ecosystems of NC
Ecosystems and biodiversity in 1700's
John Lawson's "A New Voyage to Carolina" (1709)
Alterations since 1700
Present day ecosystems and biodiversity
Threatened, endangered, and extinct species in the state
Changes in wildlife resources
Changes in fishery resources
Changes in forestry
Human Ecology of NC in 1998
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