INTRODUCTION 



ObjectiveB 



The fundamental objective of this contract was to delineate those 

 "natural" (essentially, undeveloped) areas within Brunswick County which 

 merit special consideration with regard to preservation, due to their sig- 

 nificant biotic 6Lnd/or abiotic features. As it applies here, "delineation" 

 refers to initial identification of potentially significant areas, final 

 selection of sites meriting further study through field reconnaissance, 

 brief investigation of these areas to gather preliminary base-line data, and 

 initial evaluation of each site* 



"Significance" alludes to unusual or outstanding geologic or geomorphic 

 features; areas which serve as habitat for one or more threatened or endangered 

 species of biota; geographically unusual, or disjunct populations and/or 

 assembalges; unusually extensive populations of a species; unusual or here- 

 tofore unknown combinations of plant species (community types), or outstanding 

 examples of known community types; emd concentrated areas of breeding habitat 

 for one or more animal species. The level of significance of a natural area- 

 local, state, regional, or national --varies with the number of the above 

 listed elements of significance which pertain to the site and the relative 

 importance and development of each of these elements . 



Natural Vegetation of Brunswick County 



It was decided early during work on the contract that in order to have 

 the insight and perspective necessary to do a thorough job of determining 

 what of the county's vegetation is significant in relation to the character- 

 istic plant communities of the area, it was critical to have a thorough under- 

 standing of (1) what those communities are smd what their overall condition 

 is in terms of human disturbance, (2) how they relate to characteristic or 

 significajit landforras and geomorphic features, amd (5) where the best intact 

 example--if any remains — of each community exists within the county. There- 

 fore, based on a thorough field reconnaissance of present-day vegetation 

 types, previous experience within the area, and perspective from the litera- 

 ture and other sources, a classification of the natural vegetation of Brunswick 



