County was developed (Gee Table 1). 



Each division of the vef^etation classification is described in general 

 terras, and discussed with regard to its overall county distribution and its 

 relation to geology and soils. Some of the vegetation types are, due largely 

 to their structure and dynamics, admittedly heterogeneous; nevertheless, it 

 is believed that the framework provided will lend overall perspective as to 

 the county's complete natural vegetation, and consequently, will aid the reader 

 in understamding and evaluating the individual natural area reports which 

 follow. 



The vegetation classification is divided into three habitats, or eco- 

 systems — aquatic, wetland, and terrestrial. The definition of each ecosystem 

 follows that of Radford et al. (198I, in press). Of the three habitats, wet- 

 land plant communities are by far the most extensive in acreage within the 

 county, covering an estimated sixty to seventy percent of the land surface, 

 while terrestrial plant communities cover most of the remainder of the county. 

 True aquatic communities comprise only a small fraction of the county's vege- 

 tative cover, probably less than three percent. 



I. AQUATIC PLANT COMMUNITIES 



As noted, the extent of true aquatic plant communities within the 

 county is very limited. They are restricted to lakes, ponds, sluggish 

 portions of tidal streams, and limited areas within major river estuaries, 



A, Freshwater Pond Community 



The few old, man-made impoundments in the county, such as Orton 

 Pond and Sandhill Creek impoundment, contain the most extensive aquatic 

 populations in the area. However, although much smaller individually, 

 freshwater pond vegetative communities occur most frequently within 

 limesinks, such as those found in the Sunny Point — Orton—Boiling 

 Springs Lakes region, Doline ponds are numerous in Brunswick County 

 within those areas underlain by fossiliferous Eocene formations (e,g,, 

 the Castle Hayne formation), mostly in the eastern and southeastern 

 portions of the county. In addition, oxbow lakes and meander scars, 

 of relatively minor importance along the Brunswick County portion 

 of the Waccamaw River drainage, may also contain aquatic communities. 

 In most cases freshwater pond community types are not especially 

 diverse, and are generally limited to various combinations of water 



