Most fire studies indicate that pinebarren goldenheather increases following
fire. The ordination of data from 85 plots and 13 environmental variables in the
pine barrens of New Jersey revealed pinebarren goldenheather's
close association with sites having more open canopies, more bare sand, and
experiencing high-severity past fires. Pinebarren goldenheather's frequency and
abundance were greatest on the most frequently burned sites, and increases occurred
on long unburned sites that burned severely.
Pinebarren goldenheather seedlings revegetated burned sites. The researcher
suggests that pinebarren goldenheather produces a long-lived seed bank that is
stimulated to germinate following severe canopy removing fires [41].
During burning and herbicide treatments in the southern New Jersey pine
plains, researchers observed that pinebarren goldenheather occurred only on road edges and on fire breaks that burned 5
times in the past 14 to 18 years. On sites burned only once by a "light" backfire,
pinebarren goldenheather occupied only roadside sites [22].
The 1995 Sunrise Wildfire burned portions of the Long Island pine barrens
vegetation. Approximately 70% of the burned area had not burned since 1930, and
pitch pines in the area were more than 40 years old. Aerial photographs taken in
1996 revealed an increased abundance of pinebarren goldenheather on burned
sites compared to unburned sites [16].
However, following high-severity spring fires in the heathlands of Nantucket and Cape Cod,
pinebarren goldenheather decreased slightly. The fires
burned when fuel loads were between 850 and 1,000 g/m²
and flame lengths were between 6.6 and 32.8 feet (2-10 m). Before the fire in Nantucket, pinebarren
goldenheather coverage and frequency were 3% and 41%, respectively. The 1st
postfire year coverage was less than 1%, and frequency was 35%. The prefire
coverage and frequency of pinebarren goldenheather on Cape Cod were less than 1%
and 9%, respectively. Four years following the fire coverage was unchanged, and
frequency was 7% [6]. This study suggests that pinebarren
goldenheather coverage and frequency may not increase following fire, may
experience short-lived post-fire increases, or may require more than
4 years to exceed prefire measurements on some sites. See the Research Project Summary Vegetation change in grasslands and heathlands
following multiple spring, summer, and fall prescription fires in Massachusetts
for further information on prescribed fire and postfire response of plant community
species, including pinebarren goldenheather, in this study.
This description provides
characteristics that may be relevant to fire ecology, and is not meant for
identification. Keys for identification are available [4,12,30,34].
Pinebarren goldenheather is a native, low-growing, mat-forming shrub.
Vegetation is dense, spreads to 3 feet (1 m) across, but is rarely over 1.3 feet
(0.4 m) tall [4,12,30,34]. Pinebarren goldenheather has a single taproot that extends
up to 6 inches (15 cm) deep and numerous fibrous roots concentrated in the top 1 to 4 inches
(2.5-10 cm) of soil. After excavating many plants from the New Jersey pine barrens, Laycock
[21] revealed a single occurrence of root grafting by this species. The taproot grew around and fused with another plant's
taproot. The species of the other plant was not identified. Pinebarren
goldenheather is considered a nonphreatophyte, a plant with roots not
reaching the water table and rarely growing on sites with shallow water tables [21].
Above ground, pinebarren goldenheather has a short thick crown that gives
rise to multiple branches [18]. The many branches have alternate,
needle-like, evergreen leaves. Leaves measure 2 to 7 mm in length and are less
than 0.5 mm wide [4,12,30,34]. The fruit produced is a 1- or 2-seeded, cylindrical capsule
that is glabrous except for hairs at the tip. Seeds are 0.6 to 0.7 mm long [4,30,34].
This species is adapted to drought conditions, limited
nutrients, and frequent fires [40].
Pinebarren goldenheather occupies a limited area. It occurs along the Atlantic
coast from Delaware north to Newfoundland, Canada [4,34]. A disjunct population of pinebarren goldenheather
resides in Chesterfield County, South Carolina. The species is considered rare in South Carolina [12,14,18,36].
Plants database
provides a map of pinebarren goldenheather's distribution.
The literature does not directly discuss the use of pinebarren goldenheather by
animal species. However, the dwarf pine plains habitats of Long Island, New York where pinebarren
goldenheather is typical, are important to several bird species. The
prairie warbler and brown thrasher nest in this habitat. The pine warbler and
ovenbird are also frequently found in this vegetation type. The dwarf pine
plains are also highlighted as prime buck moth habitat [32].
Palatability/nutritional value:
No information is available on this topic.
Cover value:
No information is available on this topic.
Pinebarren goldenheather is described in several pine barrens, pine-scrub oak,
and pine plains communities in several coastal New England
states.
Massachusetts: On Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and
Nantucket islands, pinebarren goldenheather occurs in several vegetation types.
Pinebarren goldenheather frequency is greater than 50% in native sandplain grasslands
characterized by coastal plains blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium fuscatum),
flaxleaf whitetop aster (Ionactis linariifolius), toothed whitetop
aster (Sericocarpus asteroides), and bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi);
in communities where wavy hairgrass (Deschampsia flexuosa) is
dominant; in heath grasslands dominated by lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium)
and poverty oatgrass (Danthonia
spicata), and in heath and huckleberry-scrub oak
vegetation types where black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata) and bear oak (Quercus
ilicifolia) are
important. Pinebarren goldenheather frequency is greater than 70% in low shrublands
where bearberry and broom crowberry (Corema conradii) are common [7].
New York: Pinebarren goldenheather, black huckleberry, and hillside
blueberry (V. pallidum) are all present in pitch pine (Pinus
rigida)-dominated habitats of Long Island. Other possible species in the
open canopy of pitch pine-oak-heath woodlands include white oak (Q. alba),
scarlet oak (Q. coccinea), and black oak (Q. velutina). In pitch
pine-scrub oak communities, the understory is dominated by bear oak [20]. In the pine plains
vegetation, stunted growth forms of pitch pine
dominate and bear oak is again prevalent [20,29].
New Jersey: The pine plains vegetation described in New Jersey is similar to that in New York.
Pinebarren goldenheather is most common in the pine plains dominated
by dwarf pitch pine that is normally less than 6 feet (2 m) tall [24]. Other
species described in the New Jersey pine plains are blackjack oak (Q. marilandica),
bear oak, mountain-laurel (Kalmia latifolia), sheep-laurel (K.
angustifolia), black huckleberry, dangleberry (G. frondosa),
bearberry, and flowering pixiemoss (Pyxidanthera barbulata) [13,25,41].
Pinebarren goldenheather is also found in pine barrens vegetation of New Jersey.
Pine barrens are still dominated by pitch pine, but pitch pine trees are often
greater than 33 feet (10 m) tall [24,28]. Bear oak, shortleaf pine (Pinus
echinata), and dwarf chinquapin (Q. prinoides) are also encountered
in this vegetation type. Also present is a shrub layer between 3 and 13 feet (1-4 m) tall
dominated by mountain-laurel, dangleberry, piedmont staggerbush (Lyonia
mariana), and highbush blueberry (V. corymbosum). In the pine barrens,
pinebarren goldenheather is restricted to sandy dry areas and disturbed sites.
Pinebarren goldenheather is typical of old-field sites as well [28,40].
Pinebarren goldenheather reproduces from seed [41]. Information
regarding the reproductive biology, seed bank longevity, and seedling survival
of pinebarren goldenheather is largely lacking.
Breeding system:
Flowers are perfect [18].
Seed dispersal:
The only mention of potential seed dispersal comes from observations by Windisch [41] who
described pinebarren goldenheather seed as "small and non-dispersed."
Seed banking: The seed bank produced by pinebarren goldenheather is long lived [41].
Germination: Severe fires that
remove the organic soil layer may
stimulate germination [41].
Seedling establishment/growth:
Canopy removal may encourage seedling growth [41].
Asexual regeneration:
Following high-severity fires in heathlands of Massachusetts and pine barrens of New
Jersey, pinebarren goldenheather did not regenerate asexually [6,41].
The excavation of several plants from the New Jersey pine barrens revealed no rhizome production [21].
Pinebarren goldenheather is a shade-intolerant, pioneer species that prefers
early seral site conditions. Several researchers describe pinebarren
goldenheather in conjunction with open disturbed sites. In xeric pine-oak forests of the New Jersey Pine Barrens,
Whittaker [40] reports pinebarren goldenheather on disturbed sites. In the
pine plains of Long Island, New York, Olsvig and others [29] report that
pinebarren goldenheather is typical of open, disturbed sites. Olsson [28] describes pinebarren
goldenheather along roadsides, on burned sites, in abandoned fields, and on
disturbed sites. Little [23] suggests that the openings and increased light
created from road construction favor pinebarren goldenheather. Dunwiddie [5]
considered pinebarren goldenheather a pioneer species of the coastal sandplains.
Another researcher considers pinebarren goldenheather a "pyric successional
species." The ordination of data from 85 plots and 13
environmental variables in the New Jersey pine barrens revealed that pinebarren
goldenheather is most closely associated with sites having more
open canopy, more bare sand, and experienced high-severity fires in the past. Pinebarren
goldenheather had the greatest abundance
on sites that burned most frequently. Increases in pinebarren goldenheather
occurred on sites that burned severely following a prolonged absence of fire [41].
Several studies highlight pinebarren goldenheather's presence in early
successional communities. After clearing pine barrens vegetation in Long Island,
revegetation by pinebarren goldenheather, bearberry, and grasses occurs within a
few years [16]. Pinebarren goldenheather is also described early in the succession of
abandoned clearings on dry pine barren sites of New Jersey [23].
Pinebarren goldenheather may also benefit from historical human-induced disturbances. In Cape Cod, Massachusetts
pinebarren goldenheather was most frequent on sites that were
severely disturbed historically (ploughed, disturbed soils) [26]. On Nantucket Island, Massachusetts,
Dunwiddie [5] evaluated sites
with different disturbance histories in 1990. One site was grazed by domestic sheep
until 1948, and the other had not been grazed for more than 100 years. On the historically grazed
site, pinebarren goldenheather coverage was 0.6% and frequency was 8.6%. On ungrazed
sites coverage was 0 and frequency was 1.1%.
Hudsonia ericoides is a species of flowering plant in the rock-rose family known by the common names pine barren goldenheather, false heather, and golden-heather. It is native to eastern North America, where its distribution extends down the east coast from Newfoundland to Delaware, with a disjunct population in South Carolina.[1]
This plant is a perennial[2] shrub which grows low to the ground, forming a dense mat up to a meter wide. It has a taproot and a system of fibrous roots within the top few centimeters of soil. The branches are covered with small green needlelike leaves each just a few millimeters long and under half a millimeter wide.[1] It has white or yellow petals and simple leaves.[3]
This plant occurs mainly in coastal pine plant communities, such as pine barrens. It is common in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey and on Cape Cod,[4] Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket in Massachusetts. It occurs on Long Island with pitch pines. The soils are dry and sandy. The plant grows easily on dunes and beaches where the climate is humid and windy. The plant does not tolerate shade and can be best found in sunny environments.[1]
This shrub is a pioneer species that can sometimes be found in disturbed habitat such as roadsides. It is commonly found in habitat that experiences frequent wildfires, as pine barrens do.[1]
Various species of the plant are presumed at risk with one of them being presumed extinct.
Hudsonia ericoides is a species of flowering plant in the rock-rose family known by the common names pine barren goldenheather, false heather, and golden-heather. It is native to eastern North America, where its distribution extends down the east coast from Newfoundland to Delaware, with a disjunct population in South Carolina.
