sabrawalton
Boiling Spring Lakes
Located just a few miles from Wilmington, Boiling Spring Lakes is a wetland complex that offers an interesting glimpse into the lower Cape Fear's natural communities. Most of the area is made up of Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) savannas, evergreen shrub bogs (known as "pocosins") and is dappled with a series of disjointed lakes. More than 6,000 acres of this land is enclosed in a nature preserve (Boiling Spring Lakes Preserve).
In this area, much of the plant community is dependent on cycles of natural wildfires. Fire is essential for Longleaf Pine regeneration and for many other fire adapted plants to produce seed. Over time and as the area has undergone man-made developments, wildfires have been suppressed, resulting in an alarming encroachment of invasive plant species (eg;. Kudzu- Pueraria montana).
In recent years there has been many undertakings in the large project of restoring the disappearing ecosystem of Longleaf Pine Savannas. Efforts include controlled burns in the longleaf pine and pocosin areas, and the replanting of pine saplings. The lakes themselves have not been forgotten amongst the battle against invaders. Hydro-raking has also been implemented in the fight against invasive water plant species (eg; Alligator Weed- Alternanthera philoxeroides).
Read more about conservation efforts in Boiling Springs Lakes and restoration of Longleaf Pine savannas here:
(Boiling Spring Lakes Preserve)-
www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/united...
(Restoring Longleaf Pine Savanna)-
www.fs.fed.us/pnw/sciencef/scifi152.pdf
(Hydro-raking)-
www.starnewsonline.com/news/20170526/floating-rig-battles...
(Invasive Species in Coastal NC)-
nc-ipc.weebly.com/coastal-plain-invasive-plants.html
Boiling Spring Lakes
Located just a few miles from Wilmington, Boiling Spring Lakes is a wetland complex that offers an interesting glimpse into the lower Cape Fear's natural communities. Most of the area is made up of Longleaf Pine (Pinus palustris) savannas, evergreen shrub bogs (known as "pocosins") and is dappled with a series of disjointed lakes. More than 6,000 acres of this land is enclosed in a nature preserve (Boiling Spring Lakes Preserve).
In this area, much of the plant community is dependent on cycles of natural wildfires. Fire is essential for Longleaf Pine regeneration and for many other fire adapted plants to produce seed. Over time and as the area has undergone man-made developments, wildfires have been suppressed, resulting in an alarming encroachment of invasive plant species (eg;. Kudzu- Pueraria montana).
In recent years there has been many undertakings in the large project of restoring the disappearing ecosystem of Longleaf Pine Savannas. Efforts include controlled burns in the longleaf pine and pocosin areas, and the replanting of pine saplings. The lakes themselves have not been forgotten amongst the battle against invaders. Hydro-raking has also been implemented in the fight against invasive water plant species (eg; Alligator Weed- Alternanthera philoxeroides).
Read more about conservation efforts in Boiling Springs Lakes and restoration of Longleaf Pine savannas here:
(Boiling Spring Lakes Preserve)-
www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/united...
(Restoring Longleaf Pine Savanna)-
www.fs.fed.us/pnw/sciencef/scifi152.pdf
(Hydro-raking)-
www.starnewsonline.com/news/20170526/floating-rig-battles...
(Invasive Species in Coastal NC)-
nc-ipc.weebly.com/coastal-plain-invasive-plants.html