Environment – Cedar Falls Park

Environment – Cedar Falls Park. . Pre 1700 Cedar Falls Environment, . The Piedmont foothills of South Carolina was a frontier landscape. Ancient oak and hickory trees reached for the sun creating a rich canopy that shaded the forest floor. , . The forest was interspersed with 20-30 acre Piedmont Prairie (grasslands) and canebrakes (thick 12’-15’ tall grass like bamboo) that filled the floodplains along sparkling streams and rivers. , . Native Americans used fire as a tool to maintain and expand these grasslands. Fire eliminated the growth of tree seedlings and encouraged the grasses and herbaceous plants to return with vigor. The fires did little long term damage to the mature forest trees. , . The combination of deep forest, canebrakes, and open grassland provided a habitat that supported herds of bison, elk, and whitetail deer. Wolves, panthers, black bears, foxes, squirrels, turkey, and rabbits also populated the area. , . The Native Americans regularly relocated their hunting camps throughout the Piedmont foothills, thereby keeping the hunting and gathering prosperous., Post 1800 Cedar Falls Environment, . European settlers moving into the area used fire to clear the land for farms and pastures. The “Old Growth” forest was harvested for building materials and firewood. , . The Piedmont Prairies were plowed for food crops. Herds of bison and elk plus back bears, wolves and panthers were hunted into extinction in the region. , . With the invention of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin and the coming of the Industrial Age, most of the land was used for crop production. From 1830-1860, cotton production grew from 720,000 to 5,000,000 bales in the southern USA. Any tillable land was now in crop production and little of the great forest and grasslands remained to support wildlife., Cedar Falls Environment Today, . By the 1930’s, the park land was out of crop production and had begun to reforest with pine, sweetgum and other fast growing trees. The transition from early pine forest to mature hardwood forest is currently well underway. , . Whitetail deer, turkey, squirrels, and river otters have returned to the banks of the Reedy River. Cowbirds and coyotes have migrated from the Midwest states to the southeast. , . The mature oak and hickory tree forest, acres of canebrake, and grasslands are gone and will never return to their former greatness. Now indigenous plants complete with exotic plant species like Japanese privet choking out the canebrakes. The future landscape will be more diverse and ever changing., Wildlife Commonly Seen at Cedar Falls, Birds , 1. Carolina Wren , 2. Wood Duck , 3. Red-Shouldered Hawk , 4. Great blue Herons , Barred Owl , Bluebird , Brown Headed Cowbird , Northern Cardinal , Blue Jay , Great Horned Owl , Mallard , Northern Mockingbird , Red-Headed Woodpecker , Red-Tailed Hawk , Turkey Vulture, Amphibians and Reptiles , 1. Copperhead Snake , 2. King Snake , 3. Yellow Belly Slider Turtle (Cooter) , 4. Snapping Turtle , Black Snake , Northern Water Snake, Fish , 1. Flat Bullhead , 2. Largemouth Bass , 3. Bluehead Chub , 4. Channel Catfish , Bluegill , Mosquitofish , Northern Hogsucker , Redbreast Sunfish , Spottail Shiner , Yellowfin Shiner, Mammals , 1. Beaver , 2. River Otter , 3. Wild Turkey , 4. White Tail Deer , Bobcat , Chipmuck , Coyote , Gray Squirrel , Gray Fox , Muskrat , Opossum , Rabbit , Raccoon , Red Fox , Skunk