Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
The pine forests and heaths, such as those found in the Pine Barrens and on southern Long Island, appear to
be an alternate climax type to the otherwise deciduous forests of the eastern United States. They exist side by
side and can replace one another, depending on the soil conditions and history of fire. Deciduous forests are
dominant on the better soils, and pines prevail on sites that are drier and more sterile, such as sandy coastal
plains and hills, steep south-facing slopes and river bluffs, and rocky mountain tops—all of which are suscept-
ible to fire. The Pine Barrens is exceptional, however, for the mosaic of habitat types within its boundaries.
These include white cedar swamps, oak forest, pine-oak heaths, and Pygmy Pine Plains (or Dwarf Plains), the
last consisting of stunted pitch pines interspersed with shrubby oaks that form a canopy only 1 to 2 meters (3
to 6 feet) tall. This pygmy forest seems to have developed on sites slightly more elevated above the water table
and with coarser soils that do not hold water as well and are therefore drier and subject to more frequent fires.
Although the Pine Barrens, in sharp contrast to the densely settled Atlantic Coastal Plain around it, has been
drastically altered by human-induced fire, it remains largely undeveloped; it is altered but still essentially wild.
The herpetofauna—amphibians and reptiles—is rich and varied for such a northern region. Fifty-eight species
occur in southern New Jersey, including eleven salamanders, fourteen frogs and toads, eleven turtles, three liz-
ards, and nineteen snakes. Latitudinally, it is at the northern limit of a number of southern species, among them
the Pine Barrens tree frog and northern pine snake, which are both endangered in New Jersey. The most color-
ful might be the Pine Barrens tree frog, with its stripes of yellow and purple that run from the snout along the
eye and side to the thigh, orange coloring on the inner surfaces of its legs, and maroon feet. It is particularly
tolerant of the tannin-rich acidic waters that characterize the Pine Barrens waterways. On land, the northern
pine snake finds the sandy soil ideal for excavating burrows, where it lays its clutch of two to twenty-four eggs
in summer and hibernates during winter.
Breeding birds prefer particular habitats within the Pine Barrens, although many species are widespread in
the upland habitats. The rufus-sided towhee is the most abundant species in the uplands, where its upbeat
call—“drink your tea”—is often heard as it searches for food in the leaf litter. Other common upland birds in-
clude blue jays, Carolina chickadees, and black-and-white warblers. In wetter areas, the catbird and other
scrub species take over, including yellowthroats and American redstarts.
Generally, the harsh environment of the Pine Barrens, with its low habitat diversity, is not particularly at-
tractive to mammals, but small mammals such as white-footed mice, woodland voles, red-backed voles, and
meadow jumping mice are common and provide food sources for the corn snake, pine snake, and timber
rattlesnake. White-tailed deer are plentiful throughout the Pine Barrens—so plentiful they often outstrip the
carrying capacity, leading to winter starvation. River otter and muskrat also find a home in its many slow-mov-
ing streams and wetlands.
Middle Atlantic Coastal Forest
The Middle Atlantic coastal forest occupies the flat coastal plain from the eastern shore of Maryland and
Delaware to just south of the Georgia-South Carolina border, giving way to the southeastern mixed forest,
where the Atlantic Coastal Plain meets the edge of the Piedmont. The slow-moving blackwater rivers that
snake across the flat terrain are famed for the towering bald cypress and gum trees that form river swamp or
bottomland forests. Generally, the Middle Atlantic coastal forests are characterized by the most diverse as-
semblage of wetland communities in North America, including freshwater marshes, shrub bogs, Atlantic white
cedar swamps, and tidally influenced bay heads.
These wetlands are critical habitats for a variety of reptiles and amphibians that require moist conditions to
complete stages of their life cycles. The forests are also key to maintaining viable populations of thirty-seven
species of southeastern songbirds as well as migratory waterfowl.
