Ecology & Natural Resources

Flowing across the entirety of a single state, the James River crosses numerous ecological regions on its way from headwaters to Chesapeake. The information provided in this section outlines the various habitats and ecosystems that make our river so special. For more information on how to experience the James' beauty, follow the link to our 'Explore the River!' pages.

Physiography

In order to better understand how habitats change throughout the James River Watershed, one must first understand how the watershed is broken down into regions. Looking one step deeper than the ecological differences, one can see that the regions along the James change based on geological difference, more specifically physiographic ones. Over the course of time, the different rock types thoughout Virginia have shifted and faulted to create a picture of how the world changes. Although Virginia has five different physiographic regions, the James River Watershed only flows through four of them: Valley & Ridge, Blue Ridge, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain. Each supports various habitats and ecosystems conducive their environment.

Valley & Ridge: The headwaters of the James begin in the Valley & Ridge province, where the Jackson and Cowpasture rivers merge below Iron Gate to create the mighty James. The Valley & Ridge province consists of elongated parallel ridges and valleys that are underlain by folded Paleozoic sedimentary rock. The characteristic topography of this region, valleys and ridges, is the result of differential weathering of linear belts of rocks that have repeatedly erroded at different paces. The Shenandoah Valley, known as the Great Valley to the physiographic world, can be found in this province and boasts a plethora of carbonates, or layers of compact rock structures, from nearly 70 million years ago.

Blue Ridge: Following the eastward flow of the James, the next province encountered is the Blue Ridge. The oldest rocks in the Blue Ridge province are different

types of granite which date back over one billion years. These granite rocks that make up the Blue Ridge have been shoved over the rock layers of its neighbor to the west, the Valley & Ridge province. The rocks were moved to the northwest when (what today is) Africa and North America got sandwiched together, pushing the Blue Ridge on top of the Valley & Ridge along a fault line. By being deformed, older igneous and metamorphic rocks show that the continents crunched together and split apart many times during the Paleozoic Era.

Piedmont: As the mountains of the Blue Ridge turn into rolling foothills, the James makes its way into the Piedmont province, the largest physiographic province in Virginia. The Piedmont has gently rolling hills, deeply weathered bedrock, and very little solid rock at the surface. Most rocks at the surface become weathered in the humid climate and buried under a blanket of "rotten rock", called saprolite, several meters thick. The oldest rocks are ~1100 million years old, and can be found just west of Richmond in a place called the Goochland terrane. Rocks of the Goochland terrane are similar to rocks in the Blue Ridge province. The Piedmont also has a large abundance of slate, a profitable economic resource, that has documented collection and use dating back to pre-contact Native Americans.

Coastal Plain: The Falls of the James, in Richmond, mark both the head of navigation for the James and the move from Piedmont to the Coastal Plain province. The topography of the Coastal Plain is a terraced landscape, lined with resistant igneous and metamorphic rocks, that stair-steps down to the coast from Virginia's major rivers. The higher, older plains in the western part of the Coastal Plain are more dissected by stream erosion than the lower, younger terrace treads. This landscape was formed over the last few million years as sea level rose and fell in response to the repeated melting and growth of large continental glaciers. Thus, the flow of the James quickens as it begins its final descent into the Chesapeake Bay.

Habitats

The James River watershed stretches from the highlands in the west to the lowlands at the mouth of the river, passing through a variety of ecosystems and inhabited areas on its way to the Chesapeake Bay. These diverse habitats support Virginia's native flora and fauna, as well as migratory species passing through the region. Below are the major habitats within the watershed supporting the plant and animal life that make Virginia outdoorsmen revel in its beauty.

Pine Dominated Forest: One of the largest habitat types within the James River watershed is the pine dominated forest. They consist primarily of abandoned loblolly pine plantations or early successional loblolly pine forests that became established after agriculture ended. Loblolly pine forests are found from New Jersey to Florida and west to Texas, making it a critical habitat for species such as white tail deer, wild turkeys, and fox squirrels. The James River National Wildlife Refuge boasts approximately 2,600 acres of pine forest in the center of the refuge, which are being selectively thinned and prescriptively burned to improve forest health. This habitat populated much of the Valley & Ridge province, moving slightly into its neighbor to the east. Although these forests are dominated by Pines, many other trees make these forests richly diverse. These trees, as well as trees that line other habitats can be read about in our 'Flora' section below.

Moist Hardwood Forest: Another dominant habitat within the James River watershed is the moist hardwood forest. Represented by deciduous trees like white oak, American beech, and hickory, this forest supports a variety of game species and forest dwelling bird species. Vegetation is hardwood tree-dominated, although pine species can also be present. The shrub layer varies in density throughout hardwood forests. Many migratory birds time their arrival to the opening of the canopy in hardwood forests, which accounts for the greatest numbers of insects. These mixed forests also provide diverse habitat for amphibians and mammals in the region. These forests populate much of the Blue Ridge province, taking advantage of its softer soil and greater exposure to sunlight.

Floodplain Forests: Floodplain forests are composed of deciduous trees that thrive in moist soil, such as green ash, black gum, bald cypress, red maple, and cottonwood. These forests occur along major rivers and are subject to periodic flooding, erosion, and sediment deposition. The sediment that characterizes the soils of floodplain forests is predominantly fertile and acidic, allowing wetland trees to thrive. This habitat is essential to species that rely on both land and water environments, as well as protecting the shore from extreme weather events. Mature floodplain forests provide habitat for cavity nesters, detritivores, canopy-dwelling species, and neo-tropical migrants. Floodplain forests possess a high diversity of plant and animal species and ecological processes, making their conservation and management critical for regional biodiversity. Located mainly around the Fall Line and bordering up against both the Piedmont and Coastal Plain provinces, most refuges and management area in this region focus on habitat stabalization for floodplain forests.

Freshwater Marsh and Shrub Swamp: Freshwater marshes are permanently wet and dominated by non-woody vegetation. The James River tidal freshwater marshes are typically dominated by large grasses and floating or submerged aquatic vegetation, like salt hay, bulrushes, and cattails. Marshes are extremely productive, converting water, sunlight, and minerals to biomass at higher rates than drier ecosystems. Shrub swamps are freshwater wetlands that are in between true swamps and marshes because of moisture level. Shrub swamps are dominated by shrubs, with some tree cover as well. These marshes and swamps take advantage of the tidal waters of the Coastal Plain province, populating much of this region. The Great Dismal Swamp is one example of the biodiversity within these habitats.

Erosional Bluff: Sections of the James River consist of riverbanks that have eroded into steep cliffs of sand, silt, and clay. Bank erosion is a natural process, however human activity can greatly increase bank instability. The unique bank habitat provides shelter for burrowing animals, such as bank swallows and some invertebrates. These banks line the James, as well as many other rivers within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and are not limited to one physiographic province. While some herbaceous vegetation can be found along these eroded banks, it is often sparse.

Aquatic Habitats: Althogh the James River Watershed is filled with diverse land-based ecosytems, its aquatic habitats are equally as abundant. Running and still-water habitats support a variety of aquatic species and terrestrial species that rely on water to complete their lifecycles. Submerged aquatic vegetation in the James River include several species of pondweed, as well as macroalgae. Vegetation in aquatic habitats help filter polluted runoff and provide habitat for waterfowl and marine life. This vegetation and aquatic invertebrates are particularly sensitive to the health of the water, serving as useful indicators of the overall health of the James.

Pine Dominated Forest- Chesapeake Bay Program

Maple Trees in a mixed Hardwood Forest- Steven Severinghaus

Bald Cypress in a Floodplain Forest- Jenny Evans

Cattail growing above the surface of a Freshwater Marsh- Julie Falk

Erosinonal Bluff along the James River- Chesapeake Bay Program

A school of breeding fish utilizing their habitat- Gary Fleming

Fauna

The James River is home to many beautiful and intersting animal species. From the abundant to the endangered, the James has provided nourishment and shelter to a wide array of organisms for hundreds of years. Below, we will highlight some interesting fauna, as well as important animal patters that run through the watershed.

Atlantic Sturgeon: The Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus) is a member of the Acipenseridae family and is one of the oldest fish species in the world. Its range extends from New Brunswick, Canada to the eastern coast of Florida. Sturgeon and their relatives also comprise one of the more ancient families of fish and their fossils date back to the Cretaceous era. Their prehistoric-looking bodies are scaleless except for five rows of bony plates which run from head to tail. Four, fleshy, catfish-like whiskers protrude from beneath their snouts and are used by the sturgeon to stir up the insect larvae, snails and crayfish upon which they feed. Growing to the monstrous length

of 10 feet and weighing nearly 500 pounds, Atlantic sturgeon were once abundant in the James until dams were constructed on the river, prohibiting them from swimming upstream to their breeding grounds. The presence of these dams combined with silting, pollution, and over-fishing, has led to the near extinction of these once great fish. As rare and unusual as these fish may be, the sturgeon found in the James are unique even among sturgeon. The James River variety has been classified as a separate subspecies (Acipenser oxyrinchus kennicotti) and is found nowhere else in the world. Originally sought after for their delicate meat, sturgeon are now far more prized for their eggs which are unanimously considered by experts to be the highest grade caviar in the world. However, today, sturgeon are protected by law in Virginia and efforts are being made to help restore their dwindling numbers. The Virginia local goal is to restore the Atlantic sturgeon to the James River by using hatchery sturgeon. Fish ladders are being built into the dams to help mature fish reach their breeding grounds upstream. These measures, in conjunction with the ongoing efforts to clean up the bay, will hopefully set the stage for the return of these once great fish.

Tagging, Meaursing, and Releasing- James River Association

Fishing the James: Although from any ecological or geolgraphical measure, the James is one long, continous river, from a fisherman's eye, its two rivers broken up by the Falls of the James. Stand on the 14th Stretr Bridge in Richmond and look upstream and you’ll see a free-flowing, rocky, smallmouth bass river; look downstream and you’ll see a flatwater tidal smorgasbord in which all sorts of things swim. Upstream, above 14th, is dominated by a big predator and a premier gamefish, the flathead catfish and smallmouth bass, respectively. The go-to method for catching catfish is to swim a live bait in deep holes, while the bass are better angled using either a small, noisy, topwater lures near deep pools or soft plastics drifted along the bottom. The Downstream James, below the falls, is dominated by blue catfish and largemouth bass, the main predator and gamefish, respectively. Both fish are extremely abundant and just about any lure could bring you luck for either fish. Despite there being two "rivers," the James River's 400 miles have a single very best fishing location at a single time of the year: downtown Richmond in April. That's when and where the hickory shad, American Shad, white perch, and stripers congregate on their upstream spawning runs. On April weekends there are many, many boat and shoreline anglers casting lines – so, unless you like elbows, fish on a weekday. For the shad, throw tiny gold and silver spoons; for the white perch throw tiny (16th-ounce) white and chartreuse grubs; and use big white grubs and big topwaters for stripers (up to five pounds). For the jumbo stripers (up to 30 pounds) use fresh cut shad.