Nar.e of area: Big Island Savannah 



County: Brunswick 



Location description: 5.7 miles north of Supply on the west side of highway 

 NC 211. 



Size: Approximately 50 acres (2 savannah areas) 



Elevation: l8.3 m (60 ft.) above sea level. 



Topographic quad map reference: Supply 1:3l620 (rap attached) 



Ownership information: Federal Paperboard, Inc. 



Bolton, N.C. 28^25 



Report prepared by: Tiraothy D- Nifong 2d:;-r ?. P.oberts, Jr. 



Box 29, Coker Hall 2710 Bartran 2c.. 



Dept. of Botany, UI.'C '.•/inston-Salsc, I'.Z. 2710£ 

 Chapel Hill, N.C. 2751^ 



Other persons knowledgeable about site: 



1) Joan Wolf 



Deot. of Botany, UNC 

 Chkpel Hill, N.C. 2751^ 



2) Dr. P.obert K. Peet 

 Dept. of Botany, U?;c 

 Chapel Hill, N.C. 2751^ 



Current use and protection status: 



At the present time there is no knovm usage of the Big Island Savannah 

 area of the "reen S'.;a.~p. The scattered longleaf pine ( Bin'-s palustr-. s ) 

 cano2;y consists of v/idely spaced, relatively ir.T-ature inlividual trees 

 (average age is approxir.ately 35 years) which a.re not of narketable cir.e 

 for timber. It is probable th'at the tract is too cnall -.nd the trees too 

 fev; to nake harvesting of the area for pulpv/ood econo.'ically feasible. 



Thjreats to the tract appear to be indirect, rr.ther than iirect , in 

 nature. For inst-rT.ce, the pocosin vegetational co-":runity •.-.•hich boriers 

 the savannah on three sides, nore or less, has recently been ditched in 

 an apparent effort to drain the arer and render it suitable for future 

 tree planting activities. Because the Big Island lavanr.ah is a wet r-.van- 

 nah, with r.any nesic to sor.i-hydric plant species presort, such drainage 

 activities constitute a potentially serious threat tc the future v.'ell- 

 being and survival of certain characteristic species. In addition, it is 

 probable that subsequent draining and/or clearing efforts in t!-.e adjacent 

 pocosin cor.r.unity could inadvertently have a seriously da..T.aging effect on 

 the outer fringe of the savannah area, allovn.ng invasion of the savannaJh 

 by less than desirable weedy species. 



The high species diversity and unique species asse.r.blage of this area 

 indicate that the savr,nnah has undergone little or none of the -an-caused 

 disruption that often accompanies tinber planting, r.aintonance , and hrj-vcst. 

 In addition, the diversity characteristics of the savannah cor.-.unity present, 

 coupled with charred tree trunks and other evidences of fire, indicate that 

 the area has been burned frequently — probably annually or sen:i-annually — for 



50 



