Habitats of North Carolina

Members of Marshes, Mires, and Shoreline Habitats:

Marshes, Mires, and Shoreline Habitats
Shoreline Shrublands

General Description

This habitat consists of thickets of Willows, Alders, Buttonbushes, Mallows and other shrubs growing in shrub swamps or along the shorelines of ponds, lakes, rivers, and streams. Shrubs in this habitat are tolerant of frequent flooding and can grow in at least shallow impoundments. Most require at least partial sun, as is usually available in the edge habitats they occupy. Species that are tolerant of prolonged deep shade and that occur in bottomland forests and swamps are placed in the General Wet Shrublands habitat.

Beaver ponds were historically important sites for this habitat and the most extensive examples are associated with shallow impoundments. Given the transient nature of beaver ponds and the high species turnover along the frequently flooded species, the Determining Species in this habitat are colonizing species and are often among the first to pioneer newly created or regenerating ponds and shorelines. The colonizing ability of this group, along with their ability to occupy shallow wetlands allows them to make use of ditches, borrow pits, farm ponds, and other artificial wetlands.

Abiotic Factors

Geographic Regions: High Mountains to the Lower Coastal Plain. USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-8. Landform: restricted to floodplains and wet flats. Soil Moisture: wet to hydric. Soil Texture: alluvial/loamy, silty, or sandy. Soil pH: acidic to circumneutral -- includes blackwater as well as brownwater floodplains. Soil Nutrients: poor to rich. Microclimate: warm to cool, humid. Flood Frequency: several times per year to permanent. Flood Duration: weeks to months or permanent. Presence of Pools: common; both permanent and ephemeral ponds and pools may be used. Fire Frequency: uncommon in bottomlands but frequent when adjoining fire-maintained habitats. Drought Frequency: rare. Ice Storm Damage: low to moderate. Wind Storm Damage: moderate. Insolation: rarely deeply shaded, receiving either full or partial sun at some point during most days

Biotic Structure

Vegetation Type: shrubland or low open forest. Strata: often located at the edge of closed canopy forests but not growing directly beneath them; cattails and other marsh species may be intermixed with the shrubs but are treated here as belonging to a separate habitat type. Shelter, Foraging, and Nesting Sites: fallen logs and broken branches are common; leaf litter is submerged for extensive periods in swamps and species that depend on dry leaf litter are treated in other habitats. Shrub thickets of all types provide important sites for nesting, foraging, and sheltering used by many birds and other animals (see General Shrublands and Thickets).

Co-evolved Species Groups

Phagic and Competitory Symbioses:
Alnus species // Acrobasis rubrifasciella-Acronicta hastulifera-Anania extricalis-Baileya doubledayi-Caloptilia glutinella-Hypena eductalis-Kybos unica
Cephalanthus occidentalis/Ledaea perditalis-Melanomma auricinctaria-Mompha cephalonthiella-Mompha solomoni
Mallow species // Bagisara rectifascia-Tarache aprica
Willow species // Acronicta connecta-Aristotelia fungivorella-Cabera variolaria-Catocala cara-Catocala carissima-Colobochyla interpuncta-Coptodisca saliciella-Digrammia gnophosaria-Erythridula rufostigmosa-Erythroneura rosa-Limenitis archippus-Macropsis decisa-Macropsis reversalis-Olethreutes fasciatana-Phyllonorycter auronitens-Scoliopteryx libatrix-Smerinthus jamaicensis-Stigmella fuscotibiella
Willow and Poplar species // Caloptilia stigmatella-Phyllonorycter salicifoliella

Determining Species

Taxa	Global Rank	State Rank	Probability of Extirpation (PE)
MOTHS
Acrobasis rubrifasciella - Alder Tubemaker Moth	GNR	S3S4	0.0020
Acronicta connecta - Connected Dagger	G4	S3S4	0.0020
Acronicta hastulifera - Frosted Dagger	G5	S3S4	0.0020
Anania extricalis	GNR	SU	0.0020
Aristotelia fungivorella	GNR	SU	0.0020
Bagisara rectifascia - Straight Lined Mallow Moth	G4	S3S4	0.0020
Baileya doubledayi - Doubleday's Baileya	G5	S3S4	0.0020
Bucculatrix locuples	GNR	SU	0.0020
Cabera variolaria - Vestal Moth	G5	S3S4	0.0020
Caloptilia glutinella	GNR	SU	0.0020
Caloptilia stigmatella	GNR	S3S4	0.0020
Catocala cara - Darling Underwing	G5	S4	0.0007
Catocala carissima - Carissima Underwing	G5	S4	0.0007
Catocala unijuga - Once-married Underwing	G5	SH	0.00
Chionodes hibiscella	GNR	SU	0.0020
Clostera inclusa - Angle-lined Prominent	G5	S4S5	0.0002
Colobochyla interpuncta - Yellow-lined Owlet Moth	G4	S4	0.0007
Coptodisca saliciella	GNR	SU	0.0020
Digrammia gnophosaria - Hollow-spotted Angle	G5	S5	0.00
Furcula cinerea - Gray Furcula Moth	G5	S3S4	0.0020
Hypena eductalis	G5	S3S4	0.0020
Hypena minualis - Sooty Bomolocha	GNR	S3S4	0.0020
Ledaea perditalis - Lost Owlet Moth	G5	S4	0.0007
Lithophane disposita - Dashed Gray Pinion Moth
Melanomma auricinctaria - Gold-lined Melanomma Moth	G4	S3S4	0.0020
Micrurapteryx salicifoliella - Willow Leafblotch Miner Moth	G5	SU	0.0020
Mompha cephalonthiella - Buttonbush Leafminer Moth	GNR	SU	0.0020
Mompha solomoni	GNR	SU	0.0020
Nycteola metaspilella - Forgotten Frigid Owlet Moth	GNR	S3S4	0.0020
Olethreutes fasciatana	GNR	S4S5	0.0002
Phyllonorycter auronitens	GNR	SU	0.0020
Phyllonorycter salicifoliella - Willow Leaf Blotch Miner Moth	GNR	SU	0.0020
Scoliopteryx libatrix - Herald Moth	G5	S3S4	0.0020
Smerinthus jamaicensis - Twin-spotted Sphinx	G5	SU	0.0020
Spragueia dama - Southern Spragueia Moth	G5	S3S4	0.0020
Stigmella fuscotibiella	GNR	SU	0.0020
Tarache aprica - Exposed Bird-dropping Moth	G4G5	S3S4	0.0020
Tecmessa scitiscripta - Black-etched Prominent Moth	G5	S3S4	0.0020
SHRUBS
Alnus serrulata - Hazel Alder	G5	S5	0.00
Cephalanthus occidentalis - Buttonbush	G5	S5	0.00
Cornus amomum (= Swida amomum) - Silky Dogwood	G5	S5	0.00
Hibiscus moscheutos - Swamp Rosemallow	G5	S5	0.00
Salix caroliniana - Coastal Plain Willow	G5	S4	0.0007
Salix sericea - Silky Willow	G5	S5	0.00
Sambucus canadensis - Common Elderberry	G5	S5	0.00
BIRDS
Empidonax traillii - Willow Flycatcher	G5	S3	0.0058
Setophaga petechia - Yellow Warbler	G5	S4	0.0007
HEMIPTERAN HOPPERS
Erythridula rufostigmosa
Erythroneura rosa
Kybos unica
Macropsis decisa
Macropsis reversalis
BUTTERFLIES
Limenitis archippus - Viceroy	G5	S5	0.00
HARDWOODS
Salix nigra - Black Willow	G5	S5	0.00
Expected Number of Extirpations with a PE value (Sum of PE) = 0.0684
N = Number of Extant Species with a PE value = 38
Average PE = ENE/N = 0.0018
Number of S5 species = 9
Proportion of Secure Species = Number of S5 Species/N = 0.2368
Habitat Risk Index = ENE x (1 – PSS) = 0.0522

Estimated Risk to the Determining Species

Estimated Security of the Habitat

Index of Habitat Imperilment

Identified Risks

Observed Trends

Distribution Map

Distribution

Major Conservation Reserves

Priority Areas for Surveys and Conservation Protection

Stewardship and Management Recommendations

References

Updated on

2022-01-17 16:08:34