User:Bhmurphy0/Antioch Bay

Antioch Bay
Located in Hoke County, North Carolina, Antioch Bay is an area of national significance as a flagship example of a clay-based Carolina bay. It is a low-lying, depressional wetland that exhibits an elliptical shape. Antioch Bay vegetation is characteristic of a cypress savanna, a natural community type used by the NC Natural Heritage Program to help classify landscapes in North Carolina. The site experiences flooding during the winter and spring because of the clay soils, but is typically dry during the summer and fall. Antioch Bay is owned by the Nature Conservancy and closed to the public.

Geography
Antioch Bay is located near Antioch Township in Hoke County, North Carolina, which lies in the southeastern part of the state. The entirety of the "Antioch Bay Complex" is 772 acres, but Antioch Bay itself is only around 100 acres. Antioch Bay is elliptical in shape and is oriented from northwest to southeast. Characteristic of many Carolina bays, the southeastern end of the wetland is a slightly elevated sandy rim. There are other smaller Carolina bay wetlands located near Antioch Bay. Hamby's Bay, another Significant Natural Heritage Area, lies 1.8 miles from Antioch Bay.

Flora
Pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) is moderately dispersed around the bay and dominates the open canopy in the interior. Swamp black gum (Nyssa biflora) can be found sparsely scattered throughout the site. Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) and other mixed hardwoods are found around the edge of the bay.

Vegetative composition within the bay is heavily influenced by hydrology. During extended dry periods, loblolly pine competes with pond cypress and swamp black gum in the interior. Sedges, wildflowers, and grasses are found in the understory during the dry periods. Species include yellow polygala (Polygola cymosa), lanceleaf sabatia (Sabatia difformis), flaxleaf gerardia (Agalinis linifolia), and marsh fleabane (Pluchea rosea). During periods of flooding emergent sedges are common within the understory.

There are a total of 10 rare plants, plants with small or limited populations, known to be within Antioch Bay. Michaux's Sumac (Rhus michauxii), Boykin’s lobelia (Lobelia boykinii), and awned meadow-beauty (Rhexia aristosa) are all federally protected species. Florida-peanut grass (Amphicarpum muehlenbergianum) is found within the bay during dry periods, making it one of three total populations known to be within North Carolina. Other rare species include netted nutsedge (Scleria reticularis), Georgia nutsedge (Scleria georgiana), quillwort arrowhead (Sagittaria isoetiformis), Bosc’s bluet (Oldenlandia boscii), sarvis holly (Ilex amelanchier), and branched hedge-hyssop (Gratiola ramosa).

Fauna
Antioch Bay is a hotspot for amphibians with 16 different species using the site as a breeding ground. The ephemeral nature of the site makes it difficult for fish to establish, meaning amphibians eggs are protected from predation by fish. Rare salamander species include the dwarf salamander (Eurycea quadridigitata), the state (NC) protected tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum), and Mabee’s salamander (Ambystoma mabeei). Two rare frog species have been found at the site, the ornate chorus frog (Pseudacris ornata) and the federally protected Carolina gopher frog (Rana capito). The Carolina gopher frog did not arrive at the site naturally, but was instead established artificially in 1989. The Carolina gopher frog population within Antioch Bay is not a breeding population. The glossy crayfish snake (Regina rigida) and chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia) are other documented rare species found within the site.

Preservation
Private ownership of Antioch Bay by the Nature Conservancy and their exclusion of public use at the site helps to conserve it. Cypress savannah communities are rare according to the NC Natural Heritage Program, and Antioch Bay is the best example within North Carolina. Amphibians require specific site characteristics to breed and benefit from the impact clay-based soil has on hydrology. In the NC Natural Heritage Program inventory, the inventory biologist advocates for protection of the site because of its high ecological value and rarity.

The surrounding landscape is the greatest danger to continued preservation of the site. Runoff from nearby agriculture fields can inject unwanted chemicals into the landscape. There are two other bays close to Antioch Bay, Dial Bay and Plum Thicket. These sites also contain rare species, but are not protected under ownership of the Nature Conservancy. Due to the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in the Sackett vs. EPA case, wetlands that do not have a continuous surface connection to a federally protected waterway are not subject to federal regulations or protections.

In a landscape dominated by human activity, the conservation of the vegetative community within Antioch Bay is supported by prescribed fire. Plants that are endemic to southeastern North Carolina, such as Michaux's sumac, rely on these occasional fires for their long-term success in an ecosystem.