WETLAND TREASURES OF THE CAROLINAS
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ECOLOGY & SIGNIFICANCE The 4,687 acre Botany Bay Plantation (32.54N, 80.25W) is adjacent to the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the northeastern corner of Edisto Island in lower Charleston County, South Carolina. The area lies near the North Edisto River just south of the intensely developed resort islands of Kiawah and Seabrook and just north of the rapidly developing Edisto Beach area. The area’s location near the North Edisto River places it within the boundary of the ACE (Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto Rivers) Basin Focus Area, one of the largest remaining relatively undeveloped wetlands ecosystems along the Atlantic Coast. Botany Bay Plantation WMA/HP with Botany Bay Island (under conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy), and Deveaux Banks, (a South Carolina Heritage Preserve) form a core area of protected habitat in the southeastern corner of the Focus Area. Botany Bay Plantation is also a noncontiguous part of the ACE Basin National estuarine Research Reserve. FLORA & FAUNA The biological features of Botany Bay Plantation WMA/ HP are characteristic of Sea Islands along the lower Southeast Coast (Sandifer, et al. 1980). The undeveloped coastal habitats of the plantation are important to numerous wildlife species. The beach is utilized for nesting by the Federally threatened loggerhead sea turtle and the state threatened least tern. The maritime forest and coastal scrub/shrub areas provide nesting and foraging habitat for Neotropical songbirds including painted buntings and summer tanagers. The uplands support a wide diversity of game and nongame wildlife. The tidal marshes and managed wetlands support a variety of fish and shellfish resources and provide foraging habitat for numerous wildlife species. The cultural resources on Botany Bay Plantation WMA/HP are significant. Cultural resource sites dating from as early as the Late Archaic Period through the 19th century are present. THREATS Landscape level stressors for the Plantation include climate change, sea level rise, and salt water intrusion. The Plantation must also adaptively manage vistor use impacts. ACCESS Botany Bay Plantation may be accessed year round and is open to the public during daylight hours. The Preserve is closed on Tuesdays and for special scheduled hunts. SOURCES NOAA, SCDNR, Click Here and Here for more Info. Great Egret at Botany Bay Preserve Trails 2020 WETLAND TREASURES OF THE CAROLINAS BOTANY BAY PLANTATION HERITAGE PRESERVE Property Owner: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Recognitions & Designations: South Carolina Wildlife Management Area, SC Heritage Perserve, ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve (SC DNR, NOAA) carolinawetlands.org Photos courtesy of SCDNR BOTANY BAY PRESERVE Low Tidal Marsh and Mudflats
Transcript of WETLAND TREASURES OF THE CAROLINAS
ECOLOGY & SIGNIFICANCE The 4,687 acre Botany Bay Plantation (32.54N, 80.25W) is adjacent to the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the northeastern corner of Edisto Island in lower Charleston County, South Carolina. The area lies near the North Edisto River just south of the intensely developed resort islands of Kiawah and Seabrook and just north of the rapidly developing Edisto Beach area. The area’s location near the North Edisto River places it within the boundary of the ACE (Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto Rivers) Basin Focus Area, one of the largest remaining relatively undeveloped wetlands ecosystems along the Atlantic Coast. Botany Bay Plantation WMA/HP with Botany Bay Island (under conservation easement with The Nature Conservancy), and Deveaux Banks, (a South Carolina Heritage Preserve) form a core area of protected habitat in the southeastern corner of the Focus Area. Botany Bay Plantation is also a noncontiguous part of
the ACE Basin National estuarine Research Reserve.
FLORA & FAUNA The biological features of Botany Bay Plantation WMA/HP are characteristic of Sea Islands along the lower Southeast Coast (Sandifer, et al. 1980).
The undeveloped coastal habitats of the plantation are important to numerous wildlife species. The beach is utilized for nesting by the Federally threatened loggerhead sea turtle and the state threatened least tern. The maritime forest and coastal scrub/shrub areas provide nesting and foraging habitat for Neotropical songbirds including painted buntings and summer tanagers. The uplands support a wide diversity of game and nongame wildlife. The tidal marshes and managed wetlands support a variety of fish and shellfish resources and provide foraging habitat for numerous wildlife species. The cultural resources on Botany Bay Plantation WMA/HP are significant. Cultural resource sites dating from as early as the Late Archaic Period through the 19th century are present.
THREATSLandscape level stressors for the Plantation include climate change, sea level rise, and salt water intrusion. The Plantation must also adaptively manage vistor use impacts.
ACCESSBotany Bay Plantation may be accessed year round and is open to the public during daylight hours. The Preserve is closed on Tuesdays and for special scheduled hunts.
SOURCESNOAA, SCDNR, Click Here and Here for more Info.
Great Egret at Botany Bay Preserve Trails
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carolinawetlands.org
Photos courtesy of SCDNRBOTANY BAY PRESERVE
Low Tidal Marsh and Mudflats
