Download Forest Ecology Overview

FOREST ECOLOGY
OVERVIEW INFORMATION
The watershed making up the forest at Table Rock State Park is an ecosystem that has a
high degree of plant and animal diversity. These are particularly evident in the Blue
Ridge of South Carolina, but will also occur to a lesser degree of diversity in the
Piedmont region. The biodiversity found in these areas is the result of biotic and abiotic
factors. Abiotic factors include rock and mineral types, temperature, soil pH, and
moisture. Biotic factors include plant and animal populations, fungi, and bacteria. An
abundant amount of nutrients and new soil are provided by decomposing plant and
animal matter. The organisms making up the community of a SC mountain forest also
benefit from the protection provided by deep coves and high ridgelines from the wind and
temperature extremes of weather. Steep south facing slopes are particularly sheltered
from cold air masses coming from the north during winter.
The plant community of a SC mountain forest is made up of layers. This
stratification allows a variety of plants and animals to utilize sunlight and space
efficiently. The tallest trees make up the forest’s umbrella, or canopy layer. Some of
the primary canopy trees are the American beech, eastern hemlock, tulip poplar, white
oak, chestnut oak, and mockernut hickory. Shade tolerant trees of shorter height make
up the understory layer. Flowering dogwood, sourwood, and American holly are
examples of the understory layer. Shrubs are also abundant in these forests and are
typically woody, multi-stemmed plants under 20 ft. tall. Mountain laurel,
rhododendrons, sweet shrub, dog-hobble, and wild hydrangea are examples of the plants
making up the shrub layer. The herbaceous layer is the richest in diversity with many
species competing for light on the forest floor. These plants have non-woody stems.
Examples are various grasses, yellowroot, partridge berry, Christmas fern, wild violets,
jack-in-the-pulpit and many other wildflowers. Many of the herbaceous plants take
advantage of full sun before the deciduous trees of the understory and canopy leaf out
and bloom in the early spring. The bottom layer is referred to as the forest floor. It is
here that the decomposers (FBI) do their work in recycling the tons of organic matter that
builds up. In and below the leaf litter dwell numerous fungi, bacteria, and invertebrates
all doing their part to regenerate the soil with reusable nutrients. Many other
invertebrates make their home under the decaying leaves, logs and in the fertile topsoil.
The richness of all five layers in the mountain forest observed at Table Rock is a
trademark of this type of ecosystem.
The mountain forests of SC also provide habitat for a wide range of animals. A
unique feature of the Southern Appalachians is the diversity of salamanders, with 27
species and many more subspecies representing the greatest variety of salamanders in
North America. Black bear, white-tailed deer, bobcat, raccoon, opossum, gray fox, and
flying squirrels are examples of resident mammals. Many species of birds can be found
in a SC mountain forest as well. Wild turkeys, woodpeckers, owls, nuthatches,
chickadees, warblers and an abundance of other songbirds are present throughout the
different layers of the forest.
Keeping sections of these forests undeveloped and having limited human impact
is necessary to preserve the integrity of these sensitive ecosystems in state parks.