Biodiversity Indicator
- Significant Natural Heritage Areas
Introduction
Biological diversity, or biodiversity, is the variety of all forms of life
on Earth. Its complexity is measured in terms of variations at genetic, species,
and ecosystem levels. Animal and plant species are becoming extinct and natural
areas are being depleted from the earth at an alarming rate as a result of
human activity. The loss of biodiversity has serious implications for humans
and animals alike. Biodiversity provides genetic stock for food crops, sources
of new drugs, nature-based recreational opportunities, and safeguards against
pollution.
The loss of biological diversity is easily observable in our own backyards. As land is cleared for development, rare species are replaced by more common "backyard" species. Where once neotropical songbirds nested in the interiors of forests, common and sometimes non-native species such as starlings and cowbirds have moved in after development due to their better tolerance of disturbed habitats.
As noted by the United Nations 1995 Global Biodiversity Assessment,
Beside the profound ethical and aesthetic implications, it is clear that
the loss of biodiversity has serious economic and social costs. The genes,
species, ecosystems and human knowledge which are being lost represent a living
library of options available for adapting to local and global change. Biodiversity
is part of our daily lives and livelihood and constitutes the resources upon
which families, communities, nations and future generations depend.
Biodiversity Indicator: Significant Natural Heritage Areas
About the Indicator
The NC Natural Heritage Program (NCNHP) identifies "Significant Natural
Heritage Areas"(SNHAs) as the most important areas for natural diversity
of the state. SNHAs may derive their significance from the presence of rare
species, rare or high quality natural communities, or other important ecological
features. Gaston County completed a Natural Heritage Inventory to catalog
these sites in 2000. The inventory included a field survey to identify rare
plant species. Existing data and previous reported sightings were used to
determine the presence of rare animal species.
Gaston County's most significant sites are distributed across the county. They range from Crowders Mountain in the southwest corner to sites east of Stanley and at the mouth of the South Fork River. The county's sites are identified as "A" sites, which contain species or habitat of State or regional significance, or as "B" sites, which are of Gaston County significance.
| KEY TO FIGURE 14: | "A" PREFIX= NORTH CAROLINA OR REGIONAL SIGNIFICANCE |
| "B" PREFIX= GASTON COUNTY SIGNIFICANCE |
The Crowders Mountain State Park is the largest natural heritage site in the County. It covers over 3,000 acres of topographically, botanically , and zoologically diverse land. Six natural plant communities are found in the park, and the area supports a diversity of wildlife species. Some animals documented in the park have not been documented elsewhere in the county. A second natural heritage site, Pinnacle Road, has recently been incorporated into the park. This site is most significant for the occurrence of dwarf juniper (Juniperus communis) along its ridgeline.
Six of the County's twelve "A" sites are significant because of
the presence of the Bigleaf Magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla). This magnificent
plant has the largest simple leaf of any species in the temperate world, and
one of the largest flowers. Of the 34 known sites containing Bigleaf Magnolias
in NC, 29 are in Gaston County.
| SITE NUMBER | SITE LOCATION |
| A 01 | Crowders Mountain State Park |
| A 02 | Twin Brooks - Stanley Basic Forest |
| A 03 | Richard Rankin Complex |
| A 04 | Stagecoach Road Granitic Outcrop and Wetland |
| A 05 | Armstrong Ford |
| A 06 | Jean Rankin Forest |
| A 07 | Kenneth Oates Farm Forest (Area B) |
| A 08 | Laurel Hill Nursery Forest |
| A 09 | Pinnacle Road |
| A 10 | Friday Sites # 1-1 and 1-2 (primary site and annex) |
| A 11 | Jenkins Site |
| A 12 | Forney Rankin/Redlair Preserve |
| SITE NUMBER | SITE LOCATION |
| B 01 | Riverbend Peninsula Forest |
| B 02 | Saddler Road |
| B 03 | Airport Road East |
| B 04 | Rhyne Farm |
| B 05 | Stanley Creek |
| B 06 | Spencer Mountain Dam |
| B 07 | South Pasour Mountain - Piedmont Monadnock Forest |
| B 08 | Middle Pasour Mountain |
| B 09 | Long Creek Gauging Station |
| B 10 | Mauney Creek |
| B 11 | Mike Moore Hill |
| B 12 | Penegar, Gastonia South |
| B 13 | Ferguson Ridge |
| B 14 | Ferguson's Knob |
| B 15 | Unity Church Road |
| B 16 | Catawba Cove |
| B 17 | Rhyne Bluffs |
| B 18 | Thornburg Shoals Granitic Flatrock, Bottomland Forest |
| B 19 | Sumner Road |
| B 20 | Grant Hill |
| B 21 | Kenneth Oates Farm Forest (Area A) |
| B 22 | Kenneth Oates Farm Forest (Area C) |
| B 23 | Jack Moore Forest |
| B 24 | Falston Road |
| B 25 | Johnson Creek and Side Catawba |
Two sites in the survey are important because they provide habitat for Bog Turtles. The Bog Turtle is the single most significant rare animal species surviving in Gaston County.
The Stagecoach Road site is the largest and best preserved granitic outcrop in the County. Its thin soils are dominated by hickory species and it is also home to several smaller species such as Talinum teretifolium (Fame flower), Diamorpha (Sedum) smallii (Small's sedum), and Hypericum gentianoides (Pineweed) that are found only in this type of habitat. A farm site contains an old growth forest dominated by beech, yellow poplar, oaks, and maples- some trees with diameters of nearly 3 feet.
As a result of the Natural Heritage Survey, three plant species were documented for the first time in Gaston County. These include Aster georgianus (Georgia aster), Helianthus schweinitzii (Schweinitz's sunflower), and Schisandra glabra (Magnolia vine). This is the first report of Schisandra glabra anywhere in the Piedmont of either North or South Carolina.
While Gaston County contains 7,790 acres of protected open space, only some of the identified SNHAs are included within this protected acreage. While some of the Significant Natural Heritage Areas are under permanent protection, others are threatened by development pressure.
Sources of information include the Gaston County Natural Heritage Inventory,
NC Natural Heritage Program, and the Million Acres Initiative in the Office
of Conservation and Community Affairs (http://www.enr.state.nc.us/officeofconservation/index.html).
For information on rare species in Gaston County, the NCNHP natural elements
database can be queried at http://www.ncsparks.net/nhp/search.html.
QNRC Goals and Recommended Actions:
| Indicator | 2008 Goal | Actions to achieve the goal |
| Significant Natural Heritage Sites |
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