oak (J_uercus her.isphaerica ) . Transr^ressives of these species nixed 

 v;ith scattered ericaceous shrubs forr; the ur^derstory layer vithin 

 this zone. There is little herbaceous r;roundcover here. This is 

 the last of the zones discussed that completely encircles the pond. 

 It extends outv/ard for approxir.-.ately 4 n at the southern, constantly 

 upsloping portion of the pond rim area, but extends outward as nuch 

 as 30 or ^0 rn in the western rim portion, where a flat to slir^htly 

 downslopinc topography prevails upon reaching the elevational level 

 of the live oak zone; this zone also extends outwards in a few other 

 rim areas. 



5) Quercus velutina/Vacciniun arboreun . This is a narrow zone in the 

 southern, constantly upsloping portion of the rim. The canopy is 

 doninated primarily by black oak ( Ouercus velutina ) ranjin~ up to 

 ^5.7 cm (18 in.) dbh, with an open sirub layer of larj^e individuals 

 of sparkleberry ( Vacciniun arboreun ) . 



6) Pinus taeda /'!ixed oaks /Myrica cerifera . A^ain, this zone occurs 

 primarily in the sovthern rin area. The canopy is dominated bv 



■ loblolly pine averaginrj approximately 30.5 cm (12 in.) dbh, occasionally 

 in conjunction with water oak ( Quercus nigra ) . The subcanopy layer 

 comprises a mixture 01 oaks, including dwarf post oak ( ":u?rc-:r 

 r.ar7?retta ) , black oak, and tov.'ards the upper end of the zone, turkey 

 oak ( QuercuG laevis ) . In addition, mockernut hickory ( ^arya tomentosa ) 

 assume importance in the understory in m.ovinf]; westv/ard alon^ "he 

 zone. V/aX myrtle ( Myrica cerifera ) forms a low shrub layer, with 

 few herbs occurring in the zone. 



7) Pinus palu-tris /Xi xed oaks/ Arictida stricta . Towards the eastern 

 portions of the ;ouu rin, and in the northern rir: area ( f '^ll?'..'in~ an 

 out'ward extension of zone ^0, the preceding loblolly pine/mixed oak 

 zone grades into an upland community fairly typical of the surrounding 

 a-r-^a, characterized by an open canopy of lon,~leaf pine ( 7 i nu c 

 palustris ) , an understory layer com'^osed of r.ixed oakG--t-:rl;ey oak, 

 dwarf poet cak, and scrub live oak ( '^ucrcus reminata)--v.'ith an herba- 

 ceous layer dominated by v;ire :;rass ( Aristida stricta ) . 



S ) Pinus serot ina / Cyrilla racemif lora - Lyonia luc i da/ / Jmi 1 ax laurif olia . 



In the northeastern portion of 31ue Tond, the small stream that enters 

 from the adjacent pocosin provides a sr.all area of habitat alon;; the 

 pond rim for a "typical" pocosin community. The canopy of this ve~e- 

 tational community is dominated by pond pino ( Tinus ser : tina ) in 

 conjunction v/ith an occassional pond cy-recs, underlain by a zor.se 

 shrub layer dom.inated by titi ( Cyrilla racemif lora ) , stapjorbuch 

 Lyonia luci d" ) , and other typical ever.^ro n boj shrubs, all inter- 

 t«.'ined by a tangle of sawbriars (Smilax sp.). It :s interesting to 

 note tiiat the pondspice population extends alon?; the stream and ,., „ 

 fainly deeply into the adjacent pocosin. .-j 



S) uercuG sp./^arya tcm.ent osa --?!ixed transgressives /Vaccinum sp. 



.although it was not sam-led, an oak-hicl:ory com.m.unity exzendei alonp 

 the upper rim. portion and across the adjacen' uplands at the southern 

 end of Blue -ond. The closed canopy appeared to be larelp dominated 

 by black oak and southern rC. o:iiv (Quercus falcata) , unrorlain by a 

 relatively dense subcanopy of r.ixed oak transgrecsives and mockernut 

 hickory, with, a scattered shrub layer dominated by various ericaceous 

 species. 



It should be noted in addition, for each of the above communities 

 or zones listed, that the importance of the past role of fire in the main- 

 tenace of — and ultimate species com.position of — the area v;a.s clearly 



69 



