Follow
a mountain stream eastward and eventually you encounter the rolling hills
of the Piedmont, ranging from 300 to 1500 feet high. Most of North Carolina's
human population lives here, but you will find natural communities along
rivers, in old fields, in ponds and woods wherever you go. Along the streams
of a Piedmont oak forest community, you'll find familiar plants and animals
that have adapted surprisingly well to changes in the environment caused
by people. Oak and hickory trees tower above red maples, dogwoods, and
sourwoods 
providing shelter for owls, songbirds, and hawks. You may glimpse
wild turkeys, more common now than even 20 years ago. White-tailed deer,
beavers,
and raccoons may venture into suburban communities, vying for space with
people. Non-native plants like kudzu, wisteria, and Japanese honeysuckle
have crowded out native plants in some areas. But in the streams, you
can find unusual native fish with colorful names, like the fieryblack
shiner, creek chub, speckled killifish, and striped jumprock.
[Mountains] [Piedmont] [Sandhills] [Upper
Coastal Plain] [Lower Coastal Plain] [Barrier Islands]
[North Carolina's Natural Treasures Home]
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