Fox Creek Park Ecolological Assessment - Natural Communities
I. NATURAL COMMUNITIES
Cursory habitat designations have been applied by volunteers and these have been translated here to their formal “associations” or “natural community” types via formal NCNHP classifications.
Natural communities are distinct and permanent plant alliances that occur in an “ecoregion” (such as the Blue Ridge or Coastal Plain) defined by NCNHP and NatureServe. While NCNHP defines, stores, and manages data on natural communities and species (i.e., “elements”) in the state, NatureServe (formed by the Nature Conservancy) is the national consortium of all US Natural Heritage Programs and the global and international clearinghouse for all conservation data regarding plant and wildlife species and natural communities.
Rarity Status and Ranking – NatureServe and NCNHP have assigned state and global “ranks” to all native natural communities. The global (or national) (“G”) and state (“S”) conservation ranking systems range on a scale 1 to 5. Ranks of 1-3 are the rarest while ranks of 4-5 are “apparently secure” and “secure” respectively. Ranks of 1-3 are of the highest conservation value for protection and restoration for government agencies and conservation organizations and they are primary conservation and restoration targets. However, high quality examples of common natural communities are likewise considered to be of conservation value by NCNHP, but more typically when they are very large.
Though NCNHP and the NC Plant Conservation Program (NCPCP) formally assess rarity and designate Threatened, Endangered, and other status to rare species, these programs do not formally protect rare or high-quality natural habitats or rare species by law except for state or federally listed species for projects that acquire federal or state funding. Thus, protection and restoration of these habitats (and species) is largely voluntary.
Natural Community Descriptions
Natural communities (i.e., “habitat types”) are predictable plant species alliances that have co-evolved over geologic time. They are stable, permanent alliances that can be defined by standard “classifications” or descriptions via state Natural Heritage Programs based on years of ecological research and inventories. These communities are defined by dominant and associated plant species in canopy, sub-canopy, shrub, and ground-layer position.
Natural communities are dictated by geology and soil types, elevation, moisture, bedrock, aspect, slope, natural disturbances and, since colonization, ongoing human-created disturbances and land management actions. Natural community classifications are used as models of the structure, composition, location and rarity of these habitats for conservation, and they serve as indicators for rare and common plants and wildlife species that might exist in that habitat. Knowledge of their type and coverage on the land can directly steer conservation prioritization, land management, protection, and restoration efforts.
Four habitat types occur onsite (Table 1, p.8) three of which are native plant communities and one (meadows) being “anthropogenic” or human-developed and maintained habitat. Native communities are generally self-regulating while human-created habitats require constant intervention and input to persist however, so while natural, they do not naturally occur and are incapable of self-regulation and they will “succeed” or restore to natural habitats over time.
The following natural communities comprise Fox Creek Park. Note that because of the small park size and thus, natural community sizes, each community is somewhat “ecotonal” or slightly blended with adjacent communities.
Swamp Forest/Bog Complex (S2/G2), 0.3 acres
State and federal ranks of S2 and G2 indicate habitats that are state and globally “imperiled” meaning they have few known locations, have been most damaged or impacts, are numerous but small and specialized habitats, etc.
This habitat was probably Swamp Forest prior to inundation, but it was likely entirely impounded by the pond and this area likely existed as shallows, as suggested by relict species like Water Lily which prefer water. The current Swamp area, though small, is in excellent condition for its small size and in spite of proximity to NNIS species it is not dominated by them surprisingly.
The canopy is dominated by Swamp Red Maple, Tulip Poplar and Black Willow with one Tulip Poplar reaching 48 inches diameter. The understory is relativelley open, meaning most of the lush, herbaceous ground layer can be seen and is dominated by Black Alder and Winterberry throughout, and a dense Doghobble colony (limited to the northern region). Other shrubs and vines are Elderberry, Silky Dogwood, Swamp Rose, Blackberry and just a few Multiflora Rose.
The herb zone here is lush and easily dominated by sedges but contains a wide array of herbaceous vegetation. Typical sedges are Fringed / Drooping / Sallow / Stalk-grain and Nodding Sedges. Scattered herbs include Arrow Arum, White Turtlehead, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Mannagrass, Wood Reedgrass, Swamp Aster, Tear-Thumb, Hooked Crowfoot, Jewelweed, Three-way Grass, and Golden Ragwort. Yellow Flag Iris, Royal Fern, and Small Green Wood Orchid are sparse.
Low Elevation Seep (Montane Subtype) (S2/G4), ~0.05 ac.
Among five known types of Low Elevation Seep, the “Montane” type fits this seepage best. However, due to its small size and having been physically contained, only a few original elements remain, each suggesting this Seepage classification. This seep is technically in a floodplain but the presence of species like American Holly, Spicebush, Elderberry, Silky Dogwood, Black Alder (and the nearby Yellowroot and Doghobble, though not directly in the seep) push the classification to the Montane type. Not rare, but the uncommon Ninebark is found in the central region of the seep. The Montane subtype can be highly variable, however so species composition can vary even between the same “type” and some species of other seep types occur also.
Watercress artificially dominates the seepage head, but other native plants are abundant to the west and south including Drooping Sedge, White Turtlehead, Needlerush, Swamp Aster, White Wood Aster, Small Drooping Sedge, Small Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and Little Sundrops.
Montane Oak-Hickory Forest (Acidic Subtype) (S5/G5)
In the northern, upland rise between the streams and seep / swamp region, relict Montane Oak-Hickory Forest is recovering. Chestnut Oak would have formerly been present, but today’s dominants are White Oak, Tulip Poplar, Pignut Hickory, Southern Red Oak, Northern Red Oak, Red Maple, and Black Gum. One very large diameter Shingle Oak (and several saplings) - a rare oak tree formerly common and dominant in western NC river valleys, is found adjacent to the Seep. Black Gum, Sourwood, American Holly, Ironwood, Red Mulberry, Downy Serviceberry, and Flowering Dogwood are scattered understory and subcanopy trees. A single stem of the now-rare Canada Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) which has been decimated regionally by the Hemlock Wooly Adelgid scale insect, is found in the forest center just north of the wetland.
Several relict stems of planted species occur here included Norway Maple, Japanese Maple, Sweet Cherry, Japanese Holly (which often dominates), Weeping Cherry, and Red Spruce, and the invasive Multiflora Rose, Privet, Japanese Barberry, Burningbush, English Ivy, and Amur Honeysuckle are moderately scattered.
A wide array of understory shrubs and vines, along with regenerating (seedling / sapling) canopy trees are found, many of which are introduced or planted cultivars. Typical native shrubs and vines are diverse in spite of a few invasive plants including Cherry-leaf Viburnum, Spicebush, Witch Hazel, Alternate-leaf Dogwood, Sassafras, Deerberry, Hillside Blueberry, Highbush Blueberry, Strawberry Bush, Arrowwood, Great Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel. Yellowroot is found only in the northwestern region near streams. A single stem of the very rare Mountain Camellia (Stewartia ovata) is found in the northwestern region where it was flagged and cleared around slightly to help favor the stem. Vines include Blackberry, Virginia Creeper, Wild Grape, Roundleaf Greenbrier, and the invasive Japanese Honeysuckle, English Ivy, and Asian Bittersweet.
An array of wildflowers and herbs are found throughout with dominant species varying by season and light, though some areas arearea is suppressed by leaf litter and English Ivy dominance. Abundant species are Yellow Trout Lily, Christmas Fern, Solomon’s Seal, New York Fern, Tall Rattlesnake Root, Fibrous-root Sedge, Forest Goldenrod and one small patch of Small Green Wood Orchids, and Honewort.
Less common and ecotonal to streams and wetlands are Sweet Betsy, Solomon’s Plume, Large-flowered Trillium, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Thimble-flower, White Wood Aster, Galax, Pink Lady Slipper, Wild Geranium, Mayapple, Golden Ragwort, and Calico Aster.
Meadows / Early Successional Habitat (unranked)
Originally this full-sun “successional” habitat would have been part of the Swamp-Forest complex, but its excavation, open water, and ensuing sedimentation from the stream vastly alters its soil composition and thus, species composition.
Plant species in this area are dominated by light-tending, high-seed production and rapid growth species and both invasive and naturalized plants introduced from Eurasia are typical. Overall, most plants in this area are relativley “weedy” whether native or introduced because of previously exposed soils, current Kudzu removal which exposes soil temporarily, and due to sediment deposits and soil strata alteration once the pond was abandoned. Still, the area offers excellent opportunity to maintain full-sun habitat that favors full sun, high numbers of native flowering pollinator-friendly species as well as some degree of select woody species restoration that will provide fruit and mast for wildlife.
Kudzu is the most prominent, but now rapidly declining species due to removal efforts from Grovemoent residents. Because of Kudzu removal, native plants like Elderberry are now dominating in large colonies, having been formerly suppressed for decades. Typical species are Giant Ragweed, Burdock, Field Garlic, Carolina Cranesbill, Early Winter-cress, Fireweed, several Fleabanes, Galinsoga, Cleavers, Ground Ivy, Dead Nettle, Yellow Wood-sorrel, English & Common Plantains, Indian Tobacco[1] , Pokeweed, Hooked Crowfoot, Bitter Dock, Lyre-leaf Sage, Common Sowthistle, Eastern Black Nightshade, Common Lambs-quarters, and Tall Goldenrod. Numerous grasses and sedges occur here, especially in ecotones to creek, wetlands, and seep habitats. The rare Riverbank Wild Rye (Elymus riparius) occurs along the western dam embankment and may comprise several patches now in low areas in the southern region in this habitat.
I was not aware of this. I imagine it's somewhere upland. For all I know, I might have planted it - it's the kind of thing I gathered from weedy margins around the block to put along the wall at the top of the dam.