Atlantic Coastal Plain Peatland Pocosin and Canebrake
This ecological system includes wetlands of organic soils on the outer terraces of the Atlantic Coastal Plain from southeastern Virginia and the Carolinas. Occurring on broad flats or gentle basins, the vegetation is predominantly dense shrubland or very shrubby open woodlands. A characteristic set of primarily evergreen shrubs, greenbriars, and pond pine dominates. These shrubs include inkberry, fetterbush, staggerbush, littleleaf titi, big gallberry, and honeycups, along with laurel greenbrier. Pond pine is the characteristic tree, along with loblolly-bay, sweetbay, and swamp bay. Herbs are limited to small open areas. Before European settlement wildland fire may have been more frequent, and stands of switch cane (called canebrakes) were more common and extensive. Differences in soil wetness and peat depth influence the plants, and result in different zones of tall and short vegetation. After wildland fires, the shrubs generally resprout. For more information, see NatureServe Explorer.
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