Habitats of North Carolina

Upland Hardwood Forests
Rich Montane Hardwood Forests

No image for this habitat.

Habitat Overview

Members of this habitat are associated with hardwood forests growing on nutrient-rich substrates. Most are associated with mesic mountain coves but at least some occur on ridges where mafic or calcareous formations are present. A few, such as Butternut, are associated with riparian forests with rich alluvial soils.

As in other montane habitats, several of the Determining Species are primarily northern in their distribution, occupying disjunct sites in the Southern Appalachians where they survived the Ice Age. A number of other species, however, have the majority of their ranges located west of the Appalachians, where they are associated with the limestone and other sedimentary rock formations laid down in the inland seas of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic Eras. Although the mountains of North Carolina have only a few scattered outcrops of limestone or dolomite, the basophilic plant species of this habitat are able to make use of mafic substrates as well as those derived from Amphibolite and other metamorphic rocks that are rich in minerals. The ranges of these species, however, are essentially confined to the Mountains in North Carolina, although in some cases, there do not appear to be any climatic restrictions that keep them from occupying mafic soil habitats in the Piedmont.

The animal members of this habitat are all specialist herbivores on the Determining Plant species. Like the plants, these species are confined to the Mountains, even though in some cases -- e.g., the Nettle- or Basswood-feeding species -- their host plants have ranges that extend much farther to the east. Most have their centers of distribution located west of the Appalachians, including the Ohio River drainages, with some extending north into the Great Lakes region or Canada.

Related NHP Natural Communities

At low- to mid-elevations, natural communities that support this habitat include Rich Cove Forest (Montane Intermediate Subtype), Rich Cove Forest (Montane Rich Subtype), Rich Cove Forest (Foothills Intermediate Subtype), Rich Cove Forest (Foothills Rich Subtype), Rich Cove Forest (Red Oak Subtype), and Rich Cove Forest (Boulderfield Subtype). At high elevations, Northern Hardwood Forest (Rich Subtype) and High Elevation Red Oak Forest (Rich Subtype) are included. Drier communities on basic soils that support the species in this group include Montane Oak–Hickory Forest (Basic Subtype).

Determining Species

Taxa	Global Rank	State Rank	Probability of Extirpation (PE)
MOTHS
Abrostola ovalis - Oval Abrostola Moth	G4	SU	0.0020
Abrostola urentis - Spectacled Nettle Moth	G4	SH
Cameraria aceriella - Maple Leaf Blotch Miner Moth	GNR	SU	0.0020
Catastega aceriella - Maple Trumpet Skeletonizer Moth	GNR	S4	0.0007
Catocala cerogama - Yellow-banded Underwing	G5	S3S4	0.0020
Glaucolepis saccharella	GNR	SU	0.0020
Hydrelia condensata	GNR	S2S3	0.0164
Hypena edictalis - Large Bomolocha	G4	S4	0.0007
Lithophane joannis - Buckeye Pinion	G4	SU	0.0020
Olethreutes appalachiana	GNR	SU	0.0020
Olethreutes monetiferanum	GNR	SU	0.0020
Olethreutes ochrosuffusanum	GNR	SU	0.0020
Olethreutes sciotana	GNR	SU	0.0020
Papaipema astuta - Yellow Stoneroot Borer	G2G4	S1S2	0.1284
Papaipema cerina - Golden Borer	G2G4	S1S2	0.1284
Zeiraphera claypoleana - Buckeye Petiole Borer Moth	GNR	S2S4	0.0058
HARDWOODS
Acer saccharum - Sugar Maple	G5	S5	0.0000
Aesculus flava - Yellow Buckeye	G5	S5	0.0000
Cladrastis kentukea - Kentucky Yellowwood	G4	S2S3	0.0164
Juglans cinerea - Butternut	G4	S2S3	0.0164
FORBS
Aconitum reclinatum - White Monkshood	G3	S3	0.0058
Actaea podocarpa - Mountain Bugbane	G4	S4	0.0007
Astilbe biternata - False Goat's-beard	G4G5	S3	0.0058
Coreopsis latifolia - Broadleaf Tickseed	G3	S3	0.0058
Frasera caroliniensis - American Columbo	G5	S2S3	0.0164
Heuchera hispida - Hispid Alumroot	G3	S1	0.3584
Hydrastis canadensis - Goldenseal	G3G4	S3	0.0058
Hydrophyllum macrophyllum - Largeleaf Waterleaf	G5	S3	0.0058
Isotrema macrophyllum - Pipevine	G5	S4	0.0007
Jeffersonia diphylla - Twinleaf	G5	S1	0.3584
Polymnia canadensis - White-flowered Leafcup	G5	S2	0.0460
Prosartes lanuginosa - Yellow Mandarin	G5	S5	0.0000
Ranunculus allegheniensis - Allegheny Mountain Buttercup	G4G5	S2	0.0460
Sanicula trifoliata - Largefruit Black-snakeroot	G4	S3	0.0058
Silene ovata - Blue Ridge Catchfly	G3	S3	0.0058
Solidago flexicaulis - Zigzag Goldenrod	G5	S2S3	0.0164
Stachys nuttallii - Nuttall's Hedge-nettle	G5	S1	0.3584
Trillium simile - Sweet White Trillium	G3	S2	0.0460
Viola appalachiensis - Appalachian Violet	G4	S2	0.0460
GRAMINOIDS
Carex albursina - White Bear Sedge	G5	S2	0.0460
Carex careyana - Carey's Sedge	G4G5	S1	0.3584
Carex leptonervia - Nerveless Woodland Sedge	G5	S3	0.0058
Carex platyphylla - Broadleaf Sedge	G5	S2S3	0.0164
Carex radfordii - Radford's Sedge	G3	S1	0.3584
Carex woodii - Pretty Sedge	G4	S3	0.0058
BUTTERFLIES
Celastrina neglectamajor - Appalachian Azure	G4	S3S4	0.0020
Celastrina nigra - Dusky Azure	G4	S2	0.0460
Pieris virginiensis - West Virginia White	G3G4	S3S4	0.0020
Pterourus appalachiensis - Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail	G4	S4	0.0007
SHRUBS
Philadelphus hirsutus - Hairy Mock-orange	G5	S2	0.0460
HEMIPTERAN HOPPERS
Typhlocyba modesta
Expected Number of Extirpations with a PE value (Sum of PE) = 2.5527
N = Number of Extant Species with a PE value = 46
Average PE = ENE/N = 0.0555
Number of S5 species = 3
Proportion of Secure Species = Number of S5 Species/N = 0.0652
Habitat Risk Index = ENE x (1 – PSS) = 2.3863

Phagic and Competitory Symbioses: (Acer saccharum/Cameraria aceriella) // (Aesculus flava/Lithophane joannis-Olethreutes appalachiana-Olethreutes monetiferanum-Olethreutes ochrosuffusanum-Olethreutes sciotana-Zeiraphera claypoleana) // (Collisonia canadensis/Papaipema astuta)// (Prunus serotina/Papilio appalachiensis) // (Nettle species/Abrostola ovalis-Abrostola urentis-Hypena edictalis) // (Tilia americana/Catocala cerogama-Hypena deceptalis)

Candidates for Inclusion

Habitat Sub-sets

Distribution Map

Distribution

Survey Coverage Map

Survey Coverage

Survey Priorities

Average Imperilment of Habitat Members

Habitat Conservation Status

High Quality Habitat Occurrence Table

High Quality Habitat Occurrences

Protected Habitat Occurrences

Threats and Trends

Status Summary

Stewardship Recommendations

References

Updated on

2020-12-01 09:08:50