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| Field | Field type | Value |
|---|
| hasName | String | Chesapeake Rolling Coastal Plain |
| hasURL | URL | https://dmap-prod-oms-edc.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/ORD/Ecoregions/reg3/reg3_eco_pg.pdf |
| hasID | String | |
| hasEcoregionID | String | 65n |
| hasLevel | Integer | 4 |
| hasDescription | Text | Ecoregion 8, the Eastern Temperate Forests, extends across much of the eastern United States and southern Canada, occupying a diverse landscape of mountains, plateaus, and lowlands. The region is defined by its temperate, humid climate and extensive broadleaf forests, many of which have been altered by agriculture and urbanization. Rich soils, abundant rainfall, and long growing seasons support some of North America’s most productive terrestrial ecosystems. |
| hasBiologicalSetting | Text | The ecoregion supports a wide range of deciduous and mixed forests dominated by oaks, hickories, maples, and beeches, with conifers such as pine and hemlock occurring locally. Diverse understory vegetation and abundant edge habitats sustain high biodiversity, including numerous migratory birds, amphibians, and large mammals. Natural communities range from mesic hardwood forests to floodplain and wetland systems shaped by regional hydrology. |
| hasPhysicalSetting | Text | Physically, the region consists of rolling uplands, dissected plateaus, and low mountains derived from ancient sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. Elevations span from near sea level along the coasts to over 1,200 m in the Appalachians. Deeply weathered soils, broad valleys, and river terraces reflect long-term erosion under a humid climate and glacial influences in the north. |
| hasCommunitySetting | Text | Human settlement is widespread, with extensive agricultural lands, mixed-use forests, and urbanized corridors. Forest remnants persist mainly on slopes, ridges, and riparian zones, providing ecological connectivity. Land-use patterns have fragmented natural habitats but also produced a mosaic of secondary forests and cultural landscapes that still retain significant ecological value. |
| hasGeologySetting | Text | The region’s geological base includes Paleozoic sedimentary strata—limestones, sandstones, shales—and localized metamorphic and igneous rocks in uplifted zones. Karst terrain is common in limestone belts, creating caves, sinkholes, and subsurface drainage systems. Glacial deposits cover parts of the northern extent, influencing soil texture and hydrology. |
| hasClimate | Text | A humid temperate climate prevails, with warm summers, cool to cold winters, and precipitation evenly distributed through the year. Mean annual temperatures range from about 7 °C in the north to 15 °C in the south, and precipitation varies between 900 mm and 1,400 mm annually. Seasonal variation drives strong biological productivity and distinct phenological cycles. |
| hasHydrology | Text | The region is well-watered, with dense networks of perennial streams, rivers, and wetlands. Groundwater is often recharged through porous soils and karst aquifers. Floodplains and riparian zones are ecologically significant, moderating runoff and supporting high biodiversity. Hydrological connectivity underpins nutrient cycling and aquatic habitat health. |
| hasGeology | Text | test bedrock, test sediment, test formation |
| hasTopography | Text | Topography varies from low coastal plains and river basins to rolling interior plateaus and the ridged Appalachian uplands. Relief is moderate but regionally diverse, producing gradients in soil moisture, vegetation, and land use. The heterogeneity of slope and elevation contributes to high ecological diversity. |
| isSubregionOf | List of Page, delimiter: , | American Northeast • American South • Chesapeake Bay Area • DMV |
| hasSubregion | List of Page, delimiter: , | Baltimore • Washington D.C. |
| hasParentEcoregion | Page | Southeastern Plains |
| hasEcosystem | List of Page, delimiter: , | Evergreen Plantation or Managed Pine • Managed Tree Plantation • Ruderal Forest • Central and Southern Appalachian Spruce-Fir Forest • Atlantic Coastal Plain Dry and Dry-Mesic Oak Forest • Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Dry Hardwood Forest • Southern Piedmont Dry Oak-Pine Forest • Allegheny-Cumberland Dry Oak Forest and Woodland • Appalachian Shale Barrens • Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Maritime Forest • Central and Southern Appalachian Montane Oak Forest • Central Appalachian Oak and Pine Forest • Central Appalachian Pine-Oak Rocky Woodland • Northeastern Interior Dry Oak Forest • Northeastern Interior Dry-Mesic Oak Forest • Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Pitch Pine Barrens • Southern and Central Appalachian Oak Forest • Southern Appalachian Montane Pine Forest and Woodland • Appalachian Hemlock-Hardwood Forest • South-Central Interior Mesophytic Forest • Southern and Central Appalachian Cove Forest • Southern Piedmont Mesic Forest • Central Appalachian Floodplain • Central Appalachian Riparian • Central Interior and Appalachian Floodplain Systems • Central Interior and Appalachian Riparian Systems • North-Central Interior and Appalachian Rich Swamp • Atlantic Coastal Plain Blackwater Stream Floodplain Forest • Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Tidal Wooded Swamp • Atlantic Coastal Plain Small Blackwater River Floodplain Forest • Southern Piedmont Large Floodplain Forest • Southern Piedmont Small Floodplain and Riparian Forest • Atlantic Coastal Plain Nonriverine Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest • Northern Rocky Mountain Conifer Swamp • North-Central Interior Wet Flatwoods • Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Basin Swamp and Wet Hardwood Forest • Southern Appalachian Grass and Shrub Bald • Central Appalachian Alkaline Glade and Woodland • Atlantic Coastal Plain Southern Dune and Maritime Grassland • Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain Dune and Swale • Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Fresh and Oligohaline Tidal Marsh • Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Tidal Salt Marsh • Cultivated Cropland • Pasture/Hay • Developed High Intensity • Developed Low Intensity • Developed Medium Intensity • Developed Open Space • Quarries Mines Gravel Pits and Oil Wells • Introduced Riparian and Wetland Vegetation • Introduced Upland Vegetation Annual Grassland • Introduced Upland Vegetation Shrub • Introduced Upland Vegetation Treed • Disturbed/Successional Grass/Forb Regeneration • Disturbed/Successional Shrub Regeneration • Harvested Forest Grass/Forb Regeneration • Harvested Forest Shrub Regeneration • Open Water Brackish/Salt • Open Water Fresh • Unconsolidated Shore • Undifferentiated Barren Land |
| hasEcosystemSummary | Text | The ecosystem function of the Chesapeake Rolling Coastal Plain rests on moderate relief, good drainage, and soils that, while not highly fertile, support mature hardwood-pine forests and associated wildlife. Riparian zones along headwater tributaries deliver important hydrological connectivity, nutrient cycling and habitat structure. Human land use has altered large areas of the landscape, but remnant natural forest and stream systems continue to provide ecological services such as water filtration, habitat for terrestrial and aquatic species, and resistance to disturbance.
Key ecological features include the relatively undisturbed headwater streams flowing through well-drained uplands, the ridge-and-valley microtopography that allows for diverse microhabitats, and the oak-hickory-pine forest type which forms the structural backbone of the terrestrial system. These features underpin the resilience of the region’s ecosystems in the face of land-use change, and they serve as priority zones for conservation of water quality and native biodiversity. |
| hasFootprint | Page | GeoJson:RolllingCoastalPlain |
| hasGeography | List of Page, delimiter: , | Piedmont Uplands • Chesapeake-Pamlico Lowlands • Calvert Cliffs |
| hasHydrography | List of Page, delimiter: , | Mississippi River • Ohio River • Tennessee River • St. Lawrence River • Chesapeake-Pamlico Tidal Marshes |
