"-'lue r-ond: 



The vegetation surroundir^p; Blue ;'ond is divisible into a series of 

 nore or less concentric zones (see accompanying diar^ran) each of which 

 -ay be ter-^ed a separate plant cor.nunity in the sense of a distinct 

 ve^^etational unit. 7he zones largely appear to correspond to a chanr^e 

 in elevation (and thus hydroperiod) in r'^ovin^ uv the slope. Plov/ever, 

 because the slope of the rim area is not constant in circlinf;;' the 

 pond, sone zones are prolonged or extended outward at various locations, 

 v;hile other zones may be absent at that point. At its northeast corner, 

 a blackwater streara drains into the pond from an adjacen": pocosin area, 

 allowing the intrusion of a pocosin type community into the nor^.al pond 

 vegetation. In addition, the upland Vf3getation tyres surroundinr the 

 pond differed substantially fron the northeast to the southvest pond rini 

 areas, as v/ill be discussed more fully in the follov/ing section. Ten 

 "corrnunities" and/or zones are differentiated, eight of which are nunbered 

 to correspond to the zones listed beside each specias in "he accc-.panying 

 Jlora Species List. 



0) C-pen '.-.■ater. T'he central portion of the pond consi'^ts cf o'3n •.-.■ater-- 

 51ue ■ one is an acid blackv;ater pond--with no aTuatic v: ~et?. :i?n 

 whatever enco'.-;ntered. The v/ator level of the ■:;or.d in I'ite July was 

 down approximately^ ^J,7 cm (l3 in.) fror, the seasonal (v.'inter) high 

 v;ater n:ark. 



1 ) Tax^dium ascendens . An open canopy of lar~e pond cy-ress ( Tarrodixi". 

 ascendensl rings the pond to forn a zone approximately 6m in width. 

 The average dbh (diameter at broast height) of the tre?s was ^+5.7 c:i 

 (l3 in.) vrith the buttressed portion of several individual tre-?s ex- 

 ceeding 2 n at wat-^r level. Although no trees were age i in this stand, 

 it is clear ''>•/ co:r.parison ■,;ith other aroas that this is a rature 

 stand of relatively old, if somewhat stunted pond cypress. 



2) Litoca aestivalis/Sp-'agnur. s^,, A zone averaging about 1? n in width 

 occurs next in the outward sequence of vegetation rings, character- 

 ized by a thick niat of sphagnun r.oss. The zone is nor.-.ally flooded 

 during periods of high v/ater on the pond. Alr.ost conpletely encir- 

 cling the pond is a large population of ponds_: ice ( Lit sea aestivalis ) 

 in a band ranging fro-n 3 to 13 m in width. ?cndspice is al.-.ost 

 exclusively limited to occurrence in the sphagnum -at, possibly 



in relation to its requirement of the moss mat as an appropriate 

 moisture-buffering nursery bed for pondspice seedlings. Three- 

 ranked cane ( Dulichium arundinaceum ) occurs sporadically in the 

 outer fringe of the sphagnum zone. 



3) Mixed h.orbs- An open, savannah-like ecotonal area 3 to 13 m in 

 width serves as a break between the tall zone of pondstice and the 

 zone dominated by live oak ( Q-'.ercus virginiana ) which occurs immedi- 

 ately adjacent outwards frcmi the ecotonal area. The importart 

 species here--panic grass ( Prnicum sp.), beak rush ( P.hyncospcra sp . ) , 

 redroot ( Lachnanthes carcliniana) , meadow beauty ( P.hexia mariana) , 

 and others — are relatively characteristic doline pond, or "sink," 

 species for the regicn. The species are not mixed random.ly within 

 this zone, but are actually distributed fairly predictably, presum- 

 ably accordin- to hydroperiod, in "zones" vrl thin the larger zone. 



k) "pae r c u s v i r gi ni an a/ ?-'i xe d transgressives . Live or^k — avcragin: 



a; proximately 3^^. 5 cm (12 in.) -bh, with a recently dead live cak 

 having a dbh of 1l4 cm ( ^3 ir..) and an adjacent living :ak h-ving 

 a dbh of 99 cm (39 in.) — dominates the fairly closed canopy of this 

 zone, or community, often in association with loblolly pine ( '. inus 

 t a da ) or sweetgum. ( Liguidambar styrt cif lua ) , and occasionally in 

 conjunction with black gum ( I'yssa sylvatica var. biflora!^ and swamp 



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