An abundance of wildlife can be found at the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve. Wildlife here comes in all shapes and sizes. From black bears and red wolves to lizards and songbirds, you never know what you might see on a trip to the preserve.
Mammals
Mammals found at the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve include black bears, deer, foxes, raccoons, rabbits, otters, bobcats, opossums, weasels, and an array of rodents. The endangered red wolf, once eradicated from the wild, has been reintroduced into this region and sometimes visits the preserve.
Birds
In addition to red-cockaded woodpeckers, many other birds live at the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve. Long-legged wading birds like great blue herons and egrets patiently stalk fish in shallow creeks and ponds. Red-shouldered hawks, osprey, horned owls, bald eagles, and other raptors, or birds of prey, swoop overhead hunting rodents, reptiles, fish, and other birds. During the winter tundra swans, snow geese, wood ducks, and other migratory waterfowl are commonly seen on the Albemarle Sound, escaping the colder northern weather.
In spring and summer the forests of eastern North Carolina are filled with neotropical migratory songbirds. These birds spend winters in the tropical forests of Central and South America, then migrate here in spring to breed and fledge their young. Neotropical songbirds need large, mature forests like the preserve to sustain their natural life cycle.
Reptiles
Reptiles found at the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve include turtles, lizards, and snakes. A few American alligators are known to inhabit eastern fringes of the Albemarle Sound, but none have been sighted on the preserve.
Common turtles to the area are box turtles, snappers, and spotted turtles. The eastern box turtle is the only "land turtle" found in North Carolina. Eastern box turtles have significant variation in their shell shape, pattern, and color, but can be identified by their hinged plastron (bottom of the shell) that can be shut completely to exclude predators. Other turtles have hinged shells, but they cannot be closed completely. The yellowbelly slider is a common aquatic turtle found at the preserve. They often sun themselves on logs along the water and can be easily identified by the yellow spot behind their eye.
You may also see color-changing anole lizards or five-lined skinks scurrying along shrubs and branches. The anole lizard, often mistaken for a chameleon, changes color in response to temperature, stress, and various other environmental and behavioral factors. Skinks are lizards with reduced limbs and an elongated body covered with shiny scales. They are more dependent on moisture than most lizards. The five-lined skink, one of four species of skink found in the NC coastal plain, has five light-colored stripes on its back, just as the name implies.
A variety of snakes live on the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve, almost all of them non-poisonous. Venomous cottonmouths, copperheads, and timber rattlesnakes are certainly here, but like all snakes they avoid people and are rarely seen. The quickest way to tell if a snake is poisonous is to look at its head - a pronounced diamond shape means danger.
Amphibians
With roughly 3,700 known species, toads and frogs are the most widely spread of all amphibians. Frogs typically have smooth skin and long legs, making them excellent leapers. Toads, on the other hand, have warty skin and shorter legs, which make hopping easier. Adult frogs and toads are carnivorous. Because of their moist skin, they tend to inhabit wet or moist locations. Breeding usually occurs in the water and generally eggs are laid in submerged vegetation.
Salamanders are a diverse group of amphibians. They can be found in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, though water is essential for survival. Most salamanders are nocturnal and can be found under rocks and fallen trees.
Fish
The Palmetto-Peartree Preserve is bordered by the Albemarle Sound to the north and the Little Alligator Creek to the east and south. Estuaries are formed where these waterways (fresh water) meet the ocean (salt water), providing important habitat for fish, waterfowl and migratory birds. Many different habitat types are found in and around estuaries, including shallow open waters, freshwater and salt marshes, sandy beaches, mud and sand flats, rocky shores, oyster reefs, mangrove forests, river deltas, tidal pools, sea grass and kelp beds, and wooded swamps.
Estuaries are very high in nutrients and serve as nurseries for many fish species. The productivity and variety of estuarine habitats provides for a diversity and abundance of wildlife. Shore birds, fish, crabs and lobsters, marine mammals, clams and other shellfish, marine worms, sea birds, and reptiles are just some of the animals that make their homes in and around estuaries. Fish common to these waters include striped bass, shad, herring, Atlantic croaker, spot, catfish. Blue crabs are also abundant in the Sound. In addition to the ecological importance of these species, commercial fishing is one of the main industries in Tyrrell County and a significant component of the local economy.
The Palmetto-Peartree Preserve is mostly forested with mature (+50 years old) pine, pine-hardwood, and swamp hardwood stands. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) is the dominant pine species. In mixed stands, oaks, maples, and other hardwood species grow among the pines. The swamp hardwood stands contain cypress and tupelo trees, which are adapted to grow in very wet soils and along shorelines. The Palmetto-Peartree Preserve also contains some marsh lands, which are low, wet areas dominated by grasses; the type of grass is influenced by surrounding waterways. Some marshes are freshwater, others are brackish, or slightly salty.
Beneath the forest's canopy of mature trees is an understory of small and younger trees. Most forest stands at the preserve have dense hardwood understories and midstories except where recent management activities have suppressed the undergrowth. These include saplings of the overstory trees, loblolly pine, red maple, sweet gum and swamp black gum. Below the understory is a shrub layer with bushes that grow several feet tall, including wax myrtle, sweet bay, red bay, loblolly bay, titi, fetterbush, sweet pepperbush and blueberry. Along the forest floor is an herb layer of vines, ferns and flowers. Many of these plants brighten the dense greenery of the forest with colorful blossoms from spring through fall.
From the swamp forests and peat wetlands to the depths of the Albemarle Sound, the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve supports a wealth of natural resources. These ecosystems provide habitat for wildlife, watershed protection, recreational opportunities, and valuable products that fuel the local timber markets and commercial fishing industry.
Management Methods
Forest management techniques are crucial to the protection of red-cockaded woodpecker habitat and the maintenance of a healthy forest ecosystem. All activities follow the guidelines set forth by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) and include selective thinning, reforestation, and understory control. Revenues generated from timber harvests are used to cover management expenses. A comprehensive timber inventory, conducted in 2003, is being used to develop a complete and sustainable management plan for the preserve’s forestlands.
Working Lands
The Palmetto-Peartree Preserve is also an example of how The Conservation Fund protects working landscapes. Working lands serve multiple roles in rural communities; in addition to sheltering wildlife, protecting water resources, and buffering suburban growth they are often the community’s economic backbone. To date, the Fund has protected more than 1 million acres of working lands across the country.
Forces of Nature
Recent natural events have altered the composition and structure of the forests at the preserve. An infestation of southern pine beetle (SPB) in 2001 and 2002 damaged nearly 500 acres. These insects live in the inner bark of pine trees and feed on the tree’s woody tissue. The beetles are able to attack a tree in large numbers over a very short period of time. As one tree dies, SPBs move to adjacent trees, quickly devastating large areas of forest. SPBs attack pines stressed by drought, salt water intrusion, or other factors. When beetles find a stressed tree they emit pheromones, chemical signals, that attract more beetles. If enough beetles respond, they overwhelm the tree's defenses. Once southern pine beetles have invaded, the only truly effective control tactic is to remove the infested trees, which isolates the beetles, making it hard for them to spread to new trees. Changes in foliage color from yellow to red indicate an SPB attack.
In addition to SPB infestations, the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve is prone to hurricane damage. Hurricane Isabel hit the preserve in September 2003 damaging 400 acres of the forest. Only one red-cockaded woodpecker was lost as a direct result of the storm, but 56 cavity trees were broken or blown down. Artificial cavity inserts were placed in pine trees to replace those that were lost. Other recovery efforts include salvage logging to remove dead and damaged timber, aerial surveys to assess forest health, and reforestation.
The Palmetto-Peartree Preserve’s habitat structure has been altered as a result of the southern pine beetle and Hurricane Isabel. Although the red-cockaded woodpecker population appears to be relatively unaffected, it will be several years before the full impacts will be realized.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service, the federal agency responsible for endangered species management, has developed guidelines and population goals to aid in the recovery of the red-cockaded woodpecker. The Palmetto-Peartree Preserve has been designated as an Essential Support Population, which means the woodpeckers at the preserve occupy a unique habitat and protecting them will help bring the national population back to normal levels.
There are currently 28 groups of red-cockaded woodpeckers at the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve. Woodpecker management activities include conducting annual breeding season surveys and bird banding to track population status and survival. Adult woodpeckers are also counted and monitored for reproductive success and dispersal. Periodic habitat assessments are conducted to determine management needs. Natural cavities are periodically supplemented with artificial inserts and drilled cavities to ensure that there is suitable nest and roost habitat available. All RCW management activities at the preserve are conducted by consulting biologists, Dr. J.H. Carter III & Associates, Inc.
Red-cockaded Woodpecker Biology
The red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides borealis) is a territorial, non-migratory bird species. Red-cockaded woodpeckers (RCWs) reside in mature pine forests in the southeastern United Sates and were listed as endangered in 1970 due to habitat loss and degradation. RCWs can be identified by the black and white barring pattern on their backs and large white cheek patches. Adult male woodpeckers have several red feathers, or "cockades," located between the black crown and white cheek. These feathers are usually visible only when the bird is agitated or wet.
While other woodpeckers bore out cavities in dead trees where the wood is rotten and soft, the red-cockaded woodpecker is the only one that excavates cavities exclusively in living pine trees. The older pines favored by the red-cockaded woodpecker often suffer from a fungus called red heart disease, which attacks the center of the trunk causing the inner wood, the heartwood, to become soft. Cavities generally take from 1 to 3 years to excavate. Cavity trees that are being actively used have numerous, small resin wells which exude sap. The birds keep the sap flowing apparently as a cavity defense mechanism against rat snakes and other predators.
Open mature pine or pine-hardwood stands with little or no understory vegetation provide quality habitat for the birds. RCWs at the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve are unique however, and build cavities in loblolly pines, often with significant understory, rather than the more typical longleaf pines.
The red-cockaded woodpecker has a complex social system; individuals live in social units called "groups", which typically consist of a breeding pair and up to four "helpers" (offspring from previous years). This social system is referred to as cooperative breeding. Each group occupies an aggregation of cavity trees called a "cluster" and may include 1 to 20 or more cavity trees on 3 to 60 acres (average cluster size is 10 acres). The typical territory for a group ranges from about 125 to 200 acres depending on habitat suitability and population density.
Scientific Name: Picoides borealis
Status: Endangered
Population Size: 5,627 groups or approximately 14,000 birds (according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2003)
Range: Historically, the RCW occurred from east Texas and Oklahoma, to Florida, and north to New Jersey. The present distribution is similar, except the RCWs no longer exists in Missouri, Maryland, and New Jersey. The remaining birds are fragmented into isolated populations.
Size: 7-8 inches tall
Markings: Black cap and nape, large white cheek patches, back is barred black and white. Belly is white with black spots on sides and flanks. The male has a small, red spot behind the eye (called a "cockade"). Juvenile males have a red patch in the center of the crown.
Diet: This woodpecker's diet is composed mainly of insects including ants, beetles, wood-boring insects, caterpillars, and corn ear worms if available. About 16 to 18 percent of the diet includes seasonal wild fruit.
Reproduction: Egg laying occurs during April, May, and June with the female utilizing her mate's roosting cavity for a nest. Maximum clutch size is 7 eggs with the average being 3-5 eggs. From egg laying to fledging requires about 38 days; several more weeks are needed before the young become completely independent.
Song: Red-cockaded woodpecker song
The success of the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve depends on strong partnerships. The Conservation Fund owns and manages the preserve. The North Carolina Department of Transportation provided funding for property acquisition and provides ongoing financial support for management of the red-cockaded woodpecker. The US Fish and Wildlife Service, responsible for endangered species management and recovery, acts as a project advisor, providing oversight and guidance for red-cockaded woodpecker management.
The Conservation Fund has worked with local leaders and community members in Tyrrell County for more than fifteen years protecting biodiversity, conserving natural resources, and facilitating economic development. Through land and easement acquisitions, more than 120,000 acres of critical wildlife habitat have been conserved. The Conservation Fund has simultaneously worked with local partners to develop conservation solutions that balance economic goals with environmental principles.
The following is a list of individuals, organizations, agencies, businesses and institutions that have contributed to the Palmetto-Peartree Preserve and the achievements in Tyrrell County.
The Conservation Fund established the 10,000 acre Palmetto-Peartree Preserve in 1999 with funding from the North Carolina Department of Transportation. The preserve serves as an endangered species mitigation bank for the red-cockaded woodpecker (RCW). Protection of the RCWs at the preserve offsets RCW habitat lost in road construction projects. Listed as endangered in 1970, the red-cockaded woodpecker has declined by 99% since European settlement due to habitat loss and degradation. In addition to the significant woodpecker population, the largest on private land in the state, the preserve also provides habitat to a multitude of other wildlife species, including the bald eagle, peregrine flacon, red wolf, black bear, bobcat, and more than 100 migratory bird species.
The Conservation Fund, a national non-profit organization, owns and manages the preserve to protect wildlife habitat and serve as a demonstration project for sustainable forestry and working lands preservation. The goals of the project are to:
The Conservation Fund is developing the preserve as a public park for recreation, environmental education, and economic development. The Fund works closely with local leaders and community members to implement ecotourism projects and programs, capitalizing on the area's natural and cultural resources. The Palmetto-Peartree Preserve serves as an example of a long-term partnership that integrates economic, social, and environmental efforts in order to protect our nation’s outdoor heritage.
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Powered by: Phase2 TechnologyPalmetto-Peartree Preserve
212 Main Street
Columbia, NC 27925
Phone: 919-967-2223
Fax: 919-967-9702
Email: palmettop3@earthlink.net
