characterized by one or two dominants within any single airea; 

 it actually represents a successional, herb-to-shrub sequence, 

 rather than a single vegetation type. Typical species here 

 include salt-meadow cordgrass ( Spartina patens ) , marsh elder 

 ( Iva spp,), groundsel-shrub ( Baccharis halimi folia ) , and wax 

 myrtle ( Myrica cerifera ). Soils are Aquic (implies partial 

 wetland nature of the division) to Typic Udipsamments, Excel- 

 lent examples of this vegetation type occur on Battery Island 

 and other locations within the Smith Island complex. 



B, Maritime Forest Communities 



The "climax" communities of stabilized dunal areas subject to 

 predominantly maritime influences — wind, salt stress, temperature 

 amelioration, etc.— these communities are found on barrier islands 

 and in some cases on the immediately adjacent mainland, Typic Udi- 

 psamments soils predominate. 



1, Mixed Coastal Hardwoods: 



This community occurs on somewhat sheltered, landward por- 

 tions of the broader Brunswick barrier islands, and to some extent 

 on the mainland immediately adjacent to the Cape Fear River. 

 Dominant canopy species are live oak ( Quercus virginicina ) and 

 laurel oak (£, lauri folia ) , with or without loblolly pine. 

 Characteristically, a subcanopy— shrub layer of transgressive 

 oaks, Herucles'-club ( Zanthoxylum clava - herculis ) , wax myrtle, 

 yaupon ( Ilex vomitoria ) , and other shrub species is present. 

 Excepting the southeast portion of Bald Head Island and the other 

 major islands within the Smith Island complex, most of the mixed 

 coastal hardwoods community within the county has been developed 

 for residential purposes, , 



2, Southern Maritime Forest: 



The cabbage palmetto (Sabal palmetto ) is the earmark of 

 this community, which is limited in distribution within the county, 

 and the state, to the three main (upland) islands of the Smith 

 Island complex. Palmetto only rarely dominates the canopy, then 

 occurring in small, open stands. It is more commonly an associate 

 "gap" species, or occasionally codominant, with live oak and 

 laurel oak, A dense subcanopy layer of transgressive oaks, 



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