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| General Description |
The presence of Morella species -- Bayberries and Waxmyrtles -- or Comptonia (Sweetfern) is the defining feature of this habitat. Vegetation types represented in this habitat include maritime forests and scrub, Longleaf woodlands, peatlands, and swamp forests.
None of the plant species are found across the entire range of this family,and consequently do not qualify as Determining Species for this habitat. Those instead are herbivores that specialize on members of Myricaceae. Most of them are stenophagous, feeding on the various species of Morella. The remainder are oligophagous, feeding on both Morella and Comptonia. In addition to these specialist species, Morella berries and the shelter offered by these thickets are important for wintering birds, especially the Yellow-rumped Warbler, whose eastern populations were previously named Myrtle Warblers.
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| Abiotic Factors |
Geographic Regions: Lower Coastal Plain to High Mountains. USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-8. Landform: ridges, slopes, bottomlands, and wet flats. Slope Aspect: occurs on all slopes aspects as well as on ridges and flats. Soil Moisture: Dry to wet. Soil texture: sandy to loamy to alluvial. Soil pH: circumneutral to acidic. Soil Nutrient Content: rich to poor; tidewater examples are saline. Microclimate: Warm to cool; humid to dry. Hydrological Features: surface waters are common to scarce. Flood Frequency: transiently to never flooded. Flood Duration: nonexistent to transient. Fire Frequency: common to rare. Drought Frequency: frequent to rare. Insolation: full sun to full shade
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| Biotic Structure |
Key Species species belonging to the Myricaceae are a requirement Vegetation Type: shrublands to closed-canopy forests; all stages of natural succession are included. Organic Shelter, Foraging, and Nesting Structures: thickets of Bayberries provide important sheltering, foraging and nesting sites not only for the Determining Species of this habitat but also many more generalized species; woody debris and leaf litter, however, are fairly sparse under these fairly spindly, evergreen shrubs
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| Co-evolved Species Groups |
Phagic and Competitory Symbioses:
Morella species // Acrobasis cirroferella-Caloptilia flavella-Cameraria picturatella-Catocala muliercula-Cyclophora myrtaria-Metallata absumens-Pero zalissaria-Stigmella myricafoliella-Strepsicrates smithiana
Myricaceae species // Agonopterix walsinghamella-Aspilanta argentifera-Dichomeris bipunctellus
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| Determining Species |
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| Estimated Risk to the Determining Species |
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| Estimated Risk to the Co-evolved Species Groups |
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| Estimated Security of the Habitat |
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| Index of Habitat Imperilment |
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| Identified Risks |
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| Observed Trends |
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| Distribution Map | |
| Distribution |
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| Major Conservation Reserves |
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| Priority Areas for Surveys and Conservation Protection |
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| Stewardship and Management Recommendations |
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| References |
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| Updated on |
2022-02-20 18:00:54 |
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