HELLO AND WELCOME TO NATURE SCENE.
I'M JIM WELCH WITH NATURALIST RUDY MANCKE
AT WE'RE 40 ACRE ROCK, OR THE FLAT CREEK HERITAGE PRESERVE
ON THE EDGE OF THE PIEDMONT
LANCASTER COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA.
RUDY, THE UPPER PART OF THE STATE
BUT A VERY UNIQUE PLACE.
YEAH, THIS IS REALLY, AS YOU SAID
RIGHT ON THE EDGE OF THE PIEDMONT
SO WE'RE GOING TO GET A LITTLE FEELING
OF SANDHILLS KIND OF COASTAL PLAIN WHEN WE START
BUT THE ATTRACTION IS THE ROCK
THAT WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IN A MOMENT.
PIEDMONT IN SOUTH CAROLINA
REALLY THE PIEDMONT THROUGHOUT THE EASTERN UNITED STATES
HAS BEEN MODIFIED HEAVILY IN THE PAST
AND WE'RE GOING TO SEE SIGNS OF THAT.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GET TO SEE SOME PLANTS IN THIS AREA
THAT YOU REALLY RARELY SEE ANYWHERE ELSE.
SO THAT OUGHT TO BE FUN
PLUS IT'S WARMING UP; IT'S SPRING.
FIRST WEEK OF SPRING.
YOU KNOW THERE ARE GOING TO BE LOTS THINGS OUT
AND WE'LL KEEP OUR EYES OPEN FOR THAT.
WE SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THIS FOREST FIRST
BECAUSE WE SAID THAT IT'S, IN A SENSE...
SECONDARY GROWTH MIGHT BE THE GOOD TERM FOR IT.
IT WAS A HARDWOOD FOREST AT ONE TIME, PROBABLY
NOW DOMINATED BY PINES, RIGHT?
SO WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HARDWOODS?
PROBABLY LOBLOLLY PINES.
THEY WERE CUT.
PROBABLY AGRICULTURALLY USED THE LAND
FOR A GOOD WHILE
AND NOW THESE PINES COME IN--
LOOK LIKE THEY'RE ALMOST PLANTED IN ROWS--
AND DOMINATE NOW.
THEY NEED A LOT OF SUNLIGHT.
THEY COME IN AND TAKE OVER.
AND THEN, THE UNDERSTORY TREES.
NOW, LOOK AT THE HARDWOODS THAT ARE UNDERNEATH.
THIS ONE, CLOSE, LOOK AT THE FLOWERS.
SASSAFRAS?
THAT'S SASSAFRAS.
NOW, THOSE ARE OLD FLOWERS.
THEY'VE BEEN OUT A LITTLE WHILE
BUT GOOD OLD SASSAFRAS.
SEE, THE LEAVES AREN'T REALLY GETTING ON THERE QUITE YET.
FLOWERS BEFORE THE LEAVES COME ON.
AND, OF COURSE, THAT'S ONE THAT'S USED HEAVILY
TO PRODUCE SASSAFRAS TEA, AND USED MEDICINALLY.
I SEE SOMETHING ELSE UP THERE WITH FLOWERS
THE WHITE FLOWERS.
SEE IT UP IN THE WOODS THERE?
WILD PLUM?
ONE OF THE WILD PLUMS, YEAH.
THAT USUALLY ATTRACTS LOTS OF INSECTS.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE
A LOT OF INSECTS ACTIVE TODAY.
I DON'T SEE MUCH GOING ON RIGHT NOW
BUT INTERESTING GROUPS OF FLOWERS.
AND THEN LOOK AT THE LITTLE AMERICAN HOLLY UP THERE
WITH SPINY LEAVES.
THAT, AGAIN, PRETTY WIDESPREAD PLANT
BUT TYPICAL OF THE PIEDMONT.
IT REALLY IS KIND OF AN AMAZING FEELING
WHEN YOU WALK OUT ON A MASS OF GRANITE LIKE THIS.
I MEAN, IT'S LIKE YOU'RE ON ANOTHER CONTINENT
OR IN ANOTHER WORLD OR SOMETHING.
HARD TO IMAGINE 14 ACRES
ALTHOUGH IT IS CALLED 40 ACRE ROCK, AS WE SAID
BUT 14 ACRES OF EXPOSED GRANITE SURFACE.
WELL, LARGE MASSES OF GRANITE
ARE SOMETIMES CALLED PLUTONS
AFTER THE GOD OF THE UNDERWORLD, PLUTO
BECAUSE GRANITE IS LIQUID MATERIAL
VERY HOT AT ONE POINT
THAT COMES UP FROM BELOW
AND THEN, AS WE SAID, COOLS.
IT'S AMAZING TO BE ABLE TO WALK ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT--
THIS OLD AND, AGAIN, PART OF A VOLCANO.
VERY DURABLE, LASTS ALMOST FOREVER, I SUPPOSE.
WELL, IT LASTS FOR A LONG TIME
BUT AS WE'VE SAID, IT DOES WEAR AWAY.
CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL WEATHERING IS WORKING ON IT
AND, OF COURSE, THE LICHENS ARE DOING THEIR JOB, TOO.
RARE HABITATS LIKE THIS, THOUGH, RARE PLACES LIKE THIS
ARE WHERE YOU GO TO SEE THE RAREST PLANTS
AND WE'VE SEEN A NUMBER OF THOSE TODAY.
AND LOOK AT THE WAY THAT ROCK JUST SLOWLY
FALLS OFF INTO THE DISTANCE THERE
WITH THAT CURVE ON IT
THAT'S SO TYPICAL OF LARGE EXPOSED MASSES OF GRANITE.
RUDY, LOOK AT THE TURKEY VULTURE
SOARING THROUGH THE HARDWOODS THERE.
YEAH, WITHOUT EVEN FLAPPING HIS WINGS
JUST RIDING THE RISING WARM AIR CURRENTS.
SEE A LITTLE BIT OF WHITE ON THE BACKSIDE OF THOSE WINGS, JIM-- VERY TYPICAL.
AND I IMAGINE, IN SEARCH OF A MEAL ON A DAY LIKE TODAY.
IT'S A LARGE BIRD.
OH, IT IS.
OVER 500 ACRES PROTECTED HERE
BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA NATURE CONSERVANCY AND THE HERITAGE TRUST.
AND THEY WORKED HARD TO GET THIS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO PROTECT SPECIAL PLACES
BECAUSE SPECIAL HABITATS ARE HOMES FOR SPECIAL PLANTS AND ANIMALS.
AND IT'S INTERESTING LOOKING BACK ON WHAT WE'VE SEEN TODAY--
WE'RE HERE IN THE SPRING, IT'S FAIRLY COOL.
WATER LEVELS ARE HIGH HERE.
PLENTY OF WATER ON THE SURFACE OF THIS ROCK.
BUT IF YOU COME BACK IN THE SUMMER
WATER HAS EVAPORATED AWAY.
IT'S VERY HOT HERE
AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSES ARE GREAT
ON THESE PLANT COMMUNITIES.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT MAN DOESN'T ADD HIS STRESS
ON TOP OF NATURAL STRESSES.
RESPECT AND PROTECT.
OH, THAT'S THE NAME OF THE GAME.
IT'S A NATIONAL NATURAL LANDMARK.
FLAT CREEK HERITAGE PRESERVE
IN LANCASTER COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA.
COME AND SEE IT FOR YOURSELF
AND JOIN US AGAIN ON THE NEXT NATURE SCENE.