The interior forest with its taller trees resembles the growth patterns of
mainland forests. The forest canopy is dominated by live oaks, cabbage
palmettos, loblolly pines, slash pines, and southern magnolias. In terms of
height, the pine trees dominate the landscape. It’s easy to distinguish the slash
pine with its reddish, tea-stained bark and needles that look as if they’ve just
had a haircut. The needles of the loblolly pine are tightly bunched together.
The subcanopy comprises eastern red cedar, wax myrtle, yaupon holly,
American holly, American beautyberry, and winged sumac. Groundcover
includes bracken fern, partridge berry, and coral bean, while colorful vines
like yellow jessamine, Virginia creeper, muscadine grape, and crossvine
garland the canopy.
Except for the interior of St. Phillips Island in Beaufort County, no original
growth stands exist along the South Carolina coast. Our current maritime
forests are secondary forests because timbering started in colonial times. In
the 1700s trees were sought after to build wooden sailing vessels and this
continued until iron and steel ships were invented.
Our maritime forest plays numerous important roles in preserving
our Island. Its high canopy helps conserve groundwater by preventing
evaporation and giving cover during hot days to wildlife. It helps protect us
from the high winds of a hurricane. The extensive root systems of its large
trees like the live oak help stabilize our entire island and minimize erosion.
As a whole, the maritime forest is a system of interrelated specimen types
that are interdependent, each a separate species but each also dependent on
the others for survival. It stands as an important reminder of how this place
looked 5,000 years ago and that Kiawah Island is so much more than just
a beautiful beach. NK
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