by Mike Wicker and Eric Hinesley Restoring an Atlantic White Cedar Bog 7C Fish and Wildlife Service’s Albemarle/Pamlico Coastal Program in North Carolina is working with the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge and North Carolina State University to restore an 18,000-acre (7,280-hectare) Atlantic white cedar (Cha maecypa ris thyoides)/bald cypress (‘Taxodium disticham) hog. So far, approximately 2,000 acres (810 ha) have been replanted to primarily bald cypress and Atlantic white cedar. Plans are under- way to restore wetland hydrology on the remaining acreage by installing a total of 14 water control structures on canals that drain the area. Planting of Atlantic white cedar and bald cypress will continue until the area is reveg- etated. The project is intended not only to benefit wildlife hut also to promote water quality. This site is of particular interest because the Atlantic white cedar ecosystem is categorized as globally endangered by The Nature Conser- vancv and because the area is vitally important as a water filter for the Albemarle Pamlico Estuary. Mature Atlantic white cedar bogs provide a unique habitat that has naturally acidic waters and is cooler than surrounding ha rdwo ood swamps or pinelands. Cedar bogs support high breeding bird densities (~25 to 554 pairs per 100 acres or 40 ha) of species such as ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapillus). yellowthro oats (Geothlypus trichas), and prairie. prothonotary. and hooded wa rblers (Den udro ica discolor Protonotaria citrea. and Wilsonia citurna, respectively). Hessel’s hairstreak (Mi tonunri hesseli), a butterfly, uses Atlantic white cedar exclusively. Black bear (t rsu us a nnnerica nn nus), river o otter (Lnutra cannadenisis), and bool’ocat (Felis rufus) are numerous in cedar boogs, as are the State-listed eastern diamond- back rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus us). The feo.lerally-l isted red- coockaded woodpecker (Picoides honrealis) inhabits mature poono.l pines that are scattered around cedar boogs. The Albemarle Pamlico system, the secoond largest estuary in the country, is experiencing anooxia (an absence oof aquatic ooxygen) and blooooms oof the tooxic dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscida, booth oof which are the result oof poor water quality. Histoorically, the fringe marshes, creeks, anol beds oof sul’o- merged aquatic vegetatioon in the Albemarle Pamlico Estuary have provided essential nursery habitat foor most commercial ano.l recreational fish anol shellfish in the North Caroolina coastal area. The estuary alsoo proovides impoortant habitat foor anadromous fish, incluoling the enolangereol shoortnoose sturgeoon (A cipen useur bren irostrum All oof these habitats olepend on maintain- ing aoleoluate water quality. In the 1980s, the Atlantic white cedar boog was oowneol by a commercial ooperatioon that proopooseol too mine the area s peat anol coonstruct a large peat- to—methanol synth etic fuel plant. The proopoosal was later abanolooneol, but the area haol already been cleareol, ditched, anoh olraineol. The site became part of the Pocosin Lakes Natioonal Wildlife Refuge in 1990. Although the transfer of property too Federal oownership ended the threat oof peat mining in the area, the site remained devoid oof a natural community oof plants and animals, and the water that drained from the site exceeded Noorth Caroolina water quality sta ndards foor rnercu ry. Also, the 18 \ nitro ogen in the ru no off was likely contributing too eutro o phication (excess algal growth ) downstream. Peat in the project site and surround— ing area ( the o old Fast I Dismal I Swarnp ) foormedh ooyer the last 9,00() ycrars sinccr the N’(isc( )nsin peril OdI o ol’ glaciatit on. \ egcrtat iota dept ositedh o organic’ material fastc,1r tItan it co ou Id dcrco om po usc’ a ad a thick haycrr o of peat dldr\d.lo opcrdh slo o\ylv oover tho ousandhs ool’ ycrars. ‘Ihoc’ peat reta incrdh thoc nitro ogcrn that bach been stoorcrch by gil owing plants andh drydratually c’ireatedh a veory largcr llnk tot’ a itro ogen ‘Ihoc’ pcrat a Iso o a bso orl ocrch mcrrcu ry Iro urn thcr rain watcrr, similar too the way an activatedh c’loarcooal fihtcrr cleans water by accunouhatin g co ontaminants. hi isto oric:alhy. noercury \\‘as present in thoc atmoosphoerd’ at bow hcrvehs Iro om vo olcanic’ activity, anch meordrul.y hoas increascrdh rec’crntly as a croonseolucrnccr oof human activiticrs (e.g.. co ombustit on o ol’ ho ossil lads, smelting). When peat boogs are ditched, thoc watcrr table is hoowerech anch thoc peat is acrratcrcl , \\‘h0 ich inc’1’eascrs micro obial activity anch acc’elcrratcrs checotitopoosit iOOI’i anch nutrient relr~scr rh rOt illustrate the magnita dc tot at ta—hot tint so oai’c’cr po ollutit on that iresuhts Iro urn chcrc’o ompo osit it on out peat. coonsicher thcr to ohio owing co onopariso on. Raleigh. the capital o ol’ No tort ho (;ai’o thina dhisc’hoarges (00 iooihlioon galhoons/ clay (2.2(o) 10 )liters) tof wastewatcrr \\‘ithO a c’oonc’entratioon liotoit loor to utah nitrogen tot (0.0 mg liter. i’esulting in a nitroogen dhiscloalrge out 1. 100,000 100 tuncls year (4.97(1000) kihoogranos ) . rlrhe pdrat ton thoe (oP)—acre ( 2(oO ha ) chenot onstrat it 010 plo ot a bone contains a a a not on at out’ stt tech nitroo~eio eclual too > Nears of Raleigho’s waste water chiscloargcr. Net accrunoulatio ta tuft o1’gan ic’ iooateria I is essential ft or a beat lot og too loerlo oriot its loenelicial water oluality 1.0 ole. If dhitchcrcl boogs are alIt owcrdl too chcrc’o tmpooscr. they can 1’eheascr crxc’ess nutrient lotadhs intot c’o tastal rivers ai’ich estuaries 0010 par \\‘ithO thoe lairgest potint sotuirce (e.g.. industrial site ) discharges. \\‘etlaiodhs witho dec10 torganic’ stoils c:aa hoe eithoer veirv gout odh our very load loor surface water duality. depending 0010 their cotadlitiota. Rcrsto rat it on o of tI oc Atlaat ic white ceolar drc’t osysteno is a ho nog—oerioo drIft oirt. I itopa t\’erneiots tot thoc site’s hoydlro oho ogy andh vegetative co noonounity hoave already rcrchuccrcl noercury runt off tot levels thoat are better thoan thocr State water quality Staiodhai’dh . ‘Iboc ultimate go x tI is too Ilve \vatcrr Icraviag thcr sitcr with itoercury andh 10 itr ogcrn co nocciot rat it tios co Idial too, our less than, rainlall cotacciotratit as. Restotriag locr I tych rt uho ugy has alsto cioct tura ucch tlOcr grot\\’thO out’ notoss (.Sflayunnmuun >1010.) andh iloopro o~’ecl hal oitat It 01’ small mamata Is anch aloohobo il oians. 110 ~ too loot ore years. thocr orcrcrs shot onildl hoe largcr dint toigho to ) loi’o t\idhcr besting sitcrs It or iooaiov ioc,o o— trothoicab sootogboirdls. Rcrstt olilog hoyclit olo ogy aioch ooat ivc, lola 100 do tnoioouioiticrs no beat boo ogs can turn an cri0\’iirl oanoental liability ) dhraiioech o.hc,c’o 0100— fooosing locrat borg h000lbditiiog dhot\viosti’eaioo 0.0 tasta I crstdtairy ) iioto u a eoo\’iro oioiooeiotab asset ) I dilOctit onal \ycrtbai0dl witho scii’fac’e watc’r dhisc’boarc~c’s cleaiocrr tboan raia~vater). \\.lOilcr iiooloi’ot\’iiog \\‘ihdllile loaboitat. .rhlike 0.’ ickeur is tiuc 1~rUN .llLueuuusaurle Pauuuslic’oo (.‘ooastal Iicoust’steuuuss (.oouroliunatour inn Rcmleus/Jo , .\‘ourtio (imuroliuna. cnn uci uric Iliunesley is a Pura/olssor umitlo tioc l)efuaurl— nuneunt o/ Iluurticnnltusmual .S’cieunc’e cml ~y~urtl~ Caurolinusa Stale t ‘uminersit’t’ inn kaleit.~io.