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Cabarrus County Natural Area Inventory <br />SUTHER'S WET PRAIRIE <br />Significant Natural Heritage Area <br />Site Significance: regional Size: ca. 6 acres <br />Quadrangles: Mt. Pleasant Ownership: Private <br />SIGNIFICANT FEATURES <br />Significance: This area is significant because of the prairie remnants occurring here. <br />These are unique habitats that should be preserved. <br />Biological Description: <br />A: Piedmont Prairies and Piedmont Wet Prairies are not commonly recognized as natural <br />communities in N.C. However, as our understanding of these areas increases, acceptance <br />may increase. Following the Schafale and Weakley (1990) classification, the Suther <br />Farm wet prairie can best be described as a variant of a PIEDMONT/LOW MOUNTAIN <br />ALLUVIAL FOREST. This community type occurs on alluvial soils in floodplains and <br />has a typical herbaceous layer similar to that occurring in Site 1. However the absence of <br />trees in Site I clearly limits the application of a "forest" classification and is a significant <br />difference, possibly warranting a new classification. These Iarge areas of mostly treeless <br />land, maintained by disturbance (fire, mowing, flooding) or poor soil quality, and <br />dominated by grasses and fortis can be defined as the Piedmont Prairie community type. <br />In the case of Site I with its wet condition and location (floodplain), the appropriate <br />classification would be PIEDMONT ALLUVIAL PRAIRIE. (McRae and Estep, 1998) <br />B: Vegetation consists of herbaceous species and low shrubs. <br />C: Site 1 is dominated by Sorghastrum nutans, Andropogon gerardii, Apocynum <br />cannabinum, Castilleja coccinea, Panicum anceps, Schizachyrium scoparium, Saururus <br />cernuus and Solidago altissima. Site I also contains a geographically disjunct population <br />of Lilium canadense ssp. editorum. Site 2 is dominated by Andropogon virginicus, Aster <br />pilosus, Solidago spp., Ambrosia bidentata, Eupatorium hysopifolium and Helenium <br />autumnale. <br />D: These sites are surrounded by wooded buffers and are bordered by Dutch Buffalo <br />Creek to the east and south. <br />E: Excellent quality, good condition. <br />F: ca.6 acres <br />SITE DESCRIPTION <br />Province: PIEDMONT <br />Watershed: Yadkin - Pee Dee <br />Aspect: flat <br />Moisture: frequently flooded <br />Hydrology: palustrine <br />Slope: flat <br />Topographic Position: alluvial flat <br />%II, <br />Attachment number 1 <br />F -11 Page 106 <br />