One Granite State, Many Habitat Types
The New Hampshire landscape is rich with habitats
for fish and wildlife -- from granite peaks, forests, and wetlands
to grasslands,
coastal islands, and nearly a thousand lakes and ponds. For the
Wildlife Action Plan (WAP) and habitat maps, 19 different
habitat types were identified -- some of them common and
some extremely rare. All New Hampshire lands and waters correspond
to
one or more of
the habitats described below. The habitats are mapped in GIS so
they can be used to plan habitat protection or restoration, research,
or many other activities related to wildlife and habitat related.
Contents:
Please note that these are just brief summaries; complete descriptions
of critical habitats, their components, the justification for their
conservation, and data sources and citations can be found in Appendix
B of the Wildlife Action Plan.
Alpine Habitat
Alpine habitat occurs above treeline at approximately 4,900 feet elevation,
and is characterized by high winds, precipitation, cloud cover, and fog,
resulting in low annual temperatures and a short growing season. Unique
plant communities, extreme climate, and isolation lead to rare, sometimes
site-specific species such as the White Mountain fritillary butterfly.
Climate change and acid deposition are cited as the greatest risks to this
habitat.
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Alpine habitat is a rare
natural community throughout the Northeast, occurring mostly
as isolated "islands" on
high peaks. Photo: Ben Kimball, NH Natural Heritage Bureau |
Appalachian Oak-Pine Forests
Appalachian oak-pine forests are found mostly below 900 ft. elevation in southern
New Hampshire. These forests include oak, hickory, mountain laurel, and sugar
maple, and are typically associated with warmer and drier climatic conditions.
Appalachian oak-pine forests are fire-influenced landscapes with nutrient-poor,
dry, sandy soils. They are home to hognose snakes, whip-poor-wills, silver-haired
bats and other species of concern. Intense development has dramatically reduced
the area of this forest type, which comprises some 10% of the state's total
land area, in New Hampshire's southern tier.
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Little is known about the habits of
the Eastern small-footed bat, which overwinters in caves and
mines. Photo:
Maury McKinney, The Nature Conservancy |
Caves and Mines
Caves and mines are distinguished from all other New Hampshire habitats by
being located below ground. Cave and mine habitat does not represent an
ecosystem, but rather an abiotic (non-living) habitat type. Six of New
Hampshire's nine bat species overwinter in this habitat within the state,
and historic mining data suggest that there could be additional sites.
The most challenging issues facing the habitat that caves and mines provide
are recreational activities such as spelunking and geocaching, which significantly
disturb the bats, reducing their energy reserves during hibernation.
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Cliffs
Cliffs are steep rocky outcrops greater than 65° in slope and 3 meters
in height, and have sparse vegetation that is typically restricted to cracks
and crevices where soil accumulates. Cliffs are primary breeding sites for
several state-endangered species, including the American peregrine falcon.
Although often viewed as isolated or inaccessible to people, the popularity
of cliffs and cliff tops as recreational destinations for hikers and rock climbers
is rapidly increasing.
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Cliffs are primary nesting sites for
the state-endangered American peregrine falcon. Photo: Chris
Martin, NH Audubon |
Seavey Island provides 99% of
the common tern and 100% of the roseate tern nesting habitat
in New Hampshire. Photo: NH Fish and Game
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Coastal Islands
Coastal islands have rocky shores, and are usually remote, undisturbed, and
free of predators. Vegetation typically includes grasses, herbaceous plants,
and shrub thickets growing among rocky outcrops, with few to no trees.
New Hampshire's Isles of Shoals serve as an important site for neotropical
bird migration and provide wintering habitat for land birds. The most challenging
issues facing coastal island habitat and seabird communities are over-populated
and introduced predators such as gulls.
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Dunes
Coastal sand dunes are constantly changing areas of sand and gravel that are
deposited by wave and wind action within a marine beach system. Coastal
dunes are considered one of New Hampshire's most at-risk habitats and are
used by many birds for breeding, migration, or wintering. The most challenging
issues facing dune habitat are recreational activities, oil spills, and
rising sea level resulting from climate change.
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The federally threatened piping plover
uses dunes for nesting and raising young. NH Fish and Game
photo
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Rare Blanding's turtles use
both upland and floodplain forests in southeast New Hampshire,
where the human population
densities are the highest in the state. NH Fish and Game
photo |
Floodplain Forest
Floodplain forests occur in valleys adjacent to river channels and are prone
to periodic flooding. Also referred to as riparian forests, they support
diverse natural communities, protect and enhance water quality by filtering
and sequestering pollution, and control erosion and sediment. Their rich
soils have been used in agriculture for centuries, so many floodplains
are no longer forested wildlife habitat.
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Grassland
Extensive grasslands are defined as areas greater than 10 hectares (~ 25 acres)
that are dominated by grasses, wildflowers, and sedges with little shrub or
tree cover. Some examples include hayfields, pastures, and cropland (cornfields
and other row crops). Grasslands in NH must be mowed to prevent them from becoming
shrublands or forests. Only 8% of NH grasslands are currently under conservation
easements.
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Hemlock-Hardwood-Pine Forests
Hemlock-hardwood-pine forests are transitional forests, occurring between hardwood
conifer and oak-pine forests. This common forest type is comprised of dry,
sandy soils with red oak and white pine. When hemlock-hardwood-pine forests
have been burned regularly over time, they may be able to support a pitch-pine
sand plains system.
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Hemlock-hardwood-pine forest
is the most widely distributed forest type in New Hampshire,
covering nearly 50%
of the state's land area. Photo: Ben Kimball, NH Natural Heritage
Bureau |
High elevation spruce-fir provides habitat
for Bicknell's thrush and American (pine) marten. Photo: Ben
Kimball, NH Natural Heritage Bureau |
High-Elevation Spruce-Fir Forests
High-elevation spruce-fir forests can be found between 2,500 and 3,500 ft.
in elevation on upper mountain slopes and ridge tops. Harsh climatic extremes
and highly erosive soils play a significant role in determining the species
found in this habitat type, which typically includes red spruce, balsam
fir, and heartleaf, paper, and yellow birches. High-elevation spruce-fir
forest has a very limited distribution in New Hampshire, covering approximately
4% of the state's land area, and provides some of the last areas relatively
free of human disturbance.
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Pine Barrens
Pine barrens are among the most imperiled natural communities in the world
and contribute significantly to the biological diversity of the northeast.
They are dominated by pitch pine and scrub oak interspersed with pockets
of grassy openings. Pine barrens plants are in constant flux, maintained
by frequent disturbances such as lightning-caused wildfires, which occur
naturally and regularly. These communities support a suite of regionally
and globally rare species.
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The federally endangered Karner
blue butterfly serves as an indicator of pine barrens habitat
quality. Managing
for Karners maximizes biodiversity for other state endangered
and threatened wildlife species. Photo: Marquis Walsh, NH Fish
and Game |
Marsh and Shrub Wetlands
Emergent marsh and shrub swamp systems have a broad range of flood regimes, often
controlled by the presence or departure of beavers. This system, which is an
important food source for many species, is often grouped into three broad habitat
categories: wet meadows, emergent marshes, and scrub-shrub wetlands. Marsh
and wetlands filter pollutants, preventing them from getting into local streams,
and help hold water to reduce flooding.
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Many peatland communities are comprised
of northern species that barely extend southward into New Hampshire,
making
them, and the wildlife that depend on them, particularly vulnerable
in this state. Photo: Ben Kimball, NH Natural Heritage Bureau |
Peatlands
Peatlands have water with low nutrient content and higher acidity caused by
limited groundwater input and surface runoff. Conservation of the 11 different
natural communities that comprise peatlands is vital to the continued existence
of many rare plant and wildlife species in New Hampshire. The most challenging
issues facing peatlands habitat are development; altered hydrology (amount
and flow of water); non-point source pollutants such as road salt, lawn
fertilizers, and pesticides; and unsustainable forest harvesting.
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Salt Marshes
Salt marshes are grass-dominated tidal wetlands existing in the transition zone
between ocean and upland. They are among the most productive ecosystems in
the world and are nurseries for several fisheries. Salt marshes also help protect
coastal areas from storm surges.
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An estimated 30-50% of New Hampshire's
original salt marsh habitat has been lost to development. Photo:
Ben Kimball, NH Natural Heritage Bureau |
Rocky Ridges and Talus Slopes
Rocky ridges and talus slopes are two related but distinct habitats. Talus
slopes, comprised of loose or stable boulders and rocks, range from open,
lichen covered
talus "barrens" to closed-canopy forested talus communities. Rocky
ridges generally occur on outcrops and bedrock ridges and summits below the
alpine zone. Talus slopes and rocky ridges provide crucial habitat for several
rare wildlife species in New Hampshire, including the timber rattlesnake and
bobcat.
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Recent forest inventory data suggest that
age structure of spruce and fir trees is heavily unbalanced,
with
71% of them in the 2-inch diameter class because of intensive
forestry practices. Photo: Ben Kimball, NH Natural Heritage
Bureau |
Lowland Spruce-Fir Forests
This system is a mosaic of lowland spruce-fir forest and red spruce swamp communities.
Though only covering approximately 10% of New Hampshire, lowland spruce-fir
forests support 101 vertebrate species in the state, including 9 amphibians,
2 reptiles, 53 birds, and 37 mammals. Of the bird species, 15 are heavily dependent
on spruce-fir forest, and 7 require mature trees.
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Northern Hardwood Conifer Forests
This habitat type is typically found between 1,400 and 2,500 ft. in elevation
and is typified by American beech, sugar maple, and yellow birch. Development
pressure is heavy within some parts of this habitat type and trees of varying
ages is essential to maintaining the diversity of wildlife, including several
listed as threatened and/or endangered.
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Aquatic Habitats
Aquatic habitats -- lakes, ponds, streams, and rivers -- are heavily influenced
by what happens around them; the health of fish and invertebrates depends largely
on what happens in surrounding uplands. The quality of aquatic habitats is
assessed by the health and distribution of fish, freshwater mussels, and fish-eating
birds; and the quality of nearby uplands, based on development, road density,
and other habitat factors. For the Wildlife Action Plan, aquatic habitats were
mapped and assessed by watershed grouping, where watersheds with similar geology
and other landscape features were grouped together.
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Vernal Pools
Vernal pools are wetland depressions characterized by small size, physical isolation,
and periods of flooding and drying. Significant loss of vernal pool habitat
can result in local extinction of vernal pool-dependent species such as the
fairy shrimp, wood frog, spotted salamander, blue-spotted salamander, Jefferson
salamander, and the state endangered marbled salamander. Due to the challenges
in creating models for this variable habitat, they were not mapped as part
of the Wildlife Action Plan. A database of vernal pool locations is now under
development. |
The marbled salamander, the
rarest amphibian species in the state, requires vernal
pool habitat for reproduction and survival. NH
Fish and Game photo |
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