Northeastern coastal forests

Northeastern coastal forests
Harriman State Park in New York
Ecology
Biome	Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests
Borders	New England-Acadian forests Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests Allegheny Highlands forests Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests Southeastern mixed forests Middle Atlantic coastal forests Atlantic coastal pine barrens
Bird species	251[1]
Mammal species	63[1]
Geography
Area	89,691 km2 (34,630 sq mi)
Country	United States
States	Maine New Hampshire Vermont New York Massachusetts Rhode Island Connecticut New Jersey Pennsylvania Maryland Delaware
Conservation
Habitat loss	40.8%[1]
Protected	6.2%[1]

The Northeastern coastal forests are a temperate broadleaf and mixed forests ecoregion of the northeastern United States. The ecoregion covers an area of 34,630 sq miles (89,691 km²) encompassing the Piedmont and coastal plain of seven states, extending from northern Maryland and Delaware through southeast Pennsylvania, New Jersey, southern New York State, Connecticut, Rhode Island, eastern Massachusetts and southeastern New Hampshire to southwestern Maine.

The ecoregion is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean. To the north, it transitions to the New England-Acadian forests, which cover most of northern and inland New England. To the west, the ecoregion transitions to Allegheny Highlands forests and the Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests of the Appalachian Mountains. To the south lie the Southeastern mixed forests and the Middle Atlantic coastal forests. The ecoregion surrounds the distinct Atlantic coastal pine barrens ecoregion, which covers portions of southern New Jersey and Long Island.

Climate

The climate in this ecoregion varies from humid subtropical in the south to humid continental in the north.

Flora

Oak forests dominate this ecoregion. American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was formerly important, but its population was devastated by the chestnut blight early in the 20th century.

Mixed oak forest

This forest type is found throughout the Northeastern coastal forests. Red oak (Quercus rubra), white oak (Quercus alba), and black oak (Quercus velutina) are common oaks in this habitat. Other trees include hickories (Carya spp.), red maple (Acer rubrum), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), white ash (Fraxinus americana), tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), American beech (Fagus grandifolia), black cherry (Prunus serotina), black birch (Betula lenta), black tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica), and American elm (Ulmus americana). Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is a common understory tree.^[2]

Common shrubs are maple-leaved viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium), spicebush (Lindera benzoin), and witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana). In sandier or more acidic soils are mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia), blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum), huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata), and swamp azalea (Rhododendron viscosum).^[2]

Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) is a common herbaceous plant.^[2]

Successional plant communities

These occur in formerly cleared land, such as old farms, that has been abandoned. Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana) are some of the first trees to occupy these lands.^[2]

Freshwater wetlands

Marshes occur where standing water is present for most of the year. Common reed (Phragmites australis) and cattails (Typha spp.) are often abundant.^[2]

Swamps and floodplains occur where standing water is present for only some parts of the year. Red maple is common tree, and can be found with swamp tupelo, white ash, American elm, pin oak (Quercus palustris), swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor), and silver maple (Acer saccharinum). Spicebush is a common shrub. Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) is found here.^[2]

Fauna

Some of the animals that live in the Northeastern coastal deciduous forests are white-tailed deer, eastern gray squirrels, chipmunks, red foxes, fat dormice, sparrows, chickadees, garter snakes, snails, coyotes, black bears, and raccoons. Chickadees, white-tailed deer, and eastern gray squirrels can be seen quite often. Gray wolves used to be quite common, but are now very rarely seen, causing endemic growth in deer populations near suburban areas.

Remaining areas of intact habitat

The following protected areas are within this ecoregion^[3]

• New Hampshire
  • Bear Brook State Park
  • Pawtuckaway State Park
• Massachusetts
  • Douglas State Forest
  • Weston Memorial Forest
  • Wompatuck State Park
• Rhode Island
  • Great Swamp Management Area
• Connecticut
  • Natchaug State Forest
• New York
  • Bear Mountain State Park
  • Harriman State Park
  • Sterling Forest State Park
  • Storm King State Park
• New Jersey
  • Allamuchy Mountain State Park
  • Cape May National Wildlife Refuge
  • Cheesequake State Park
  • Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
  • Sourland Mountain
• Delaware
  • White Clay Creek State Park

See also

• List of ecoregions in the United States (WWF)

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Hoekstra, J. M.; Molnar, J. L.; Jennings, M.; Revenga, C.; Spalding, M. D.; Boucher, T. M.; Robertson, J. C.; Heibel, T. J. et al. (2010). Molnar, J. L.. ed. The Atlas of Global Conservation: Changes, Challenges, and Opportunities to Make a Difference. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0520262560. http://www.nature.org/multimedia/maps/. 
2. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Collins, B. R.; Anderson, K. H. (1994). Plant Communities of New Jersey: A Study in Landscape Diversity. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0813520711. 
3. ^ Olson, D. M, E. Dinerstein, et al (2001). "Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth". BioScience 51 (11): 933–938. doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2. http://gis.wwfus.org/wildfinder/. 

External links

• Northeastern coastal forests (World Wildlife Fund)