Beyond the marsh edge and onto higher ground is the
maritime forest. This habitat type boasts a canopy of various
trees that tower above the landscape and includes pines, live
oaks, hickories, and other hardwoods. Lying underneath the
canopy is a biodiverse plant community tolerant of the shady
conditions produced because of the canopy. Below the canopy
and above ground level is an understory comprised of small
trees and shrubs. Vegetation in the understory are typically
more tolerant of shady conditions and include woody plants
such as magnolia, red bay, yaupon holly, wax myrtle, and
dwarf palmetto. Below the understory is a range of hardy small
shrubs, forbs, ferns, and grasses that dwell on the forest floor.
These habitats vary across the Island, containing various
combinations of plant species that make them unique. A
vegetative survey of Kiawah Island conducted by Dr. Joel
Gramling identified these various plant assemblages (2013).
Following the study, he identified six types of maritime
forests, six types of shrublands, three types of open dunes/
grasslands, and eight types of marshland/marsh edge habitat.
Each habitat is unique, and the horizontal layers provide
various benefits to wildlife. This lateral layering results in
increased wildlife activity and species diversity in areas where
habitat transitions occur. Raptors (for example, ospreys and
hawks) like to nest in areas with high canopy and quick access
to open areas. This is why osprey nests are typically in trees
next to the marsh, and hawks nest near forest edges and open
parks. Kiawah’s bobcats utilize the various shrub thickets for
easy access to prey and cover for daytime nesting and resting.
The niche habitats provided by by the various layers of vegetated
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communities on Kiawah Island allow wildlife to flourish.
Because of residual development and the related creation
of open spaces, natural areas have become fragmented across
the Island, disconnecting and diminishing some of the nuances
provided by large expanses of natural habitat. However, many
wildlife species continue to thrive despite these circumstances.
Adapting where they can, many species use corridors as their
mainstay for moving and traversing across open spaces when
necessary. Even small pockets of natural habitat can provide
corridors for wildlife to move as well as other benefits provided
by this type of vegetation.
These pockets of habitat can include our residential
landscapes—everything from the vegetative buffers between
homes to plants around houses and forest edges. Incorporating
these landscape elements effectively expands the habitat
that wildlife can utilize. Including plants in our residential
landscapes that mimic the layering effect of nearby habitat
through groundcover, understory, and canopy vegetation
enhances this utilization.
The result is the increase in the quantity of habitat, which
provide shelter, cover, and nesting and resting areas for Island
wildlife. The quality of our human-created habitats is also
an important aspect of this process. Playing a critical role
in providing wildlife qualities in our landscapes are native
plants. By including layers of vegetation that are comprised of
native plants, these niche habitats for wildlife are essentially
mimicked. Not only does this beautify the landscape, but
it also provides a suite of benefits to the ecosystem and
biodiverse wildlife found on Kiawah. NK
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