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| General Description |
This habitat is defined by extensive populations of woody plants, either trees or shrubs. The vegetation includes general forests, woodlands, and shrublands. Soil chemistry and moisture are not defining factors, nor is elevation or geographic location.
Determining Species are primarily generalist herbivores of woody plants. Predatory or omnivorous species are included that use woody plants or debris as shelter or foraging but that do not make significant use of open grasslands or forb-dominated habitats.
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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 hydric. Soil texture: all types from loamy to alluvial. Soil pH: circumneutral to acidic. Soil Nutrient Content: rich to poor. Microclimate: Warm to cool; humid to dry. Hydrological Features: surface waters are common to scarce. Flood Frequency: varies from permanently flooded to never flooded. Flood Duration: nonexistent to permanent. Fire Frequency: common to rare. Drought Frequency: frequent to rare. Ice Storm Damage: low to severe. Wind Storm Damage: moderate to severe. Insolation: full sun to full shade
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| Biotic Structure |
Vegetation Type: closed-canopy forest to shrublands that completely lack a forest canopy. Strata: lower strata vary from well developed to sparse. Shelter: Woody debris and leaf litter are plentiful
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| Co-evolved Species Groups |
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| Determining Species |
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| Estimated Risk to the Determining Species |
None of the species in this habitat have a State Rank as high as S3. The Average PE is equivalent to a State Rank of S4.
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| Estimated Risk to the Co-evolved Species Groups |
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| Estimated Security of the Habitat |
Forty species belonging to this habitat are considered secure in the state and the PSS value of 75% is very high. This reflects the fact that this habitat is still very widepread and consists of large blocks of habitat or very well-connected tracts of habitat.
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| Index of Habitat Imperilment |
The combination of a low value of ENE, a high value of PSS, and no identified Historic or Extirpated Species, makes the value of HRI one of the lowest of the habitats in this state. It falls within our Tier 5 of Conservation Concern (0.005 ≥ HRI > 0), indicating a high degree of habitat security and meriting a negligible priority for conservation actions.
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| Identified Risks |
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| Observed Trends |
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| Distribution Map | |
| Distribution |
This is a common and widespread habitat across the state. The low percentage of the total number of Determining Species shown in many counties is largely due to the lack of surveys of moths and other insects that have been conducted within them.
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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 |
2023-01-24 21:43:13 |
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