c) None of the ponds v/ithin the Boiling Springs Lakes subdivision have pond 

 cypress or black gun zones encircling their outer fringe ajeas, , 



as do many of the ponds in the nearby Sunny Point area and in other 

 nearby tracts. Those few poads on Orton Plantation and paper company 

 properties that do have tree rings have been either extensively disturbed 

 or largely destroyed in timbering operations. 



d) Total species diversity in and around the sinks is relatively low as 

 coapared to total diversity among other groups of doline ponds observed 

 in the surrounding coastal region, presumably due in part to the history 

 of recent disturbance in the area since developnent was begun. 



e) The nost striking vegetational diversity v/hich occurs in moving from 

 one pond to the next is seen in relation to the aquatic species. 

 However, many of the ponds no longer — if they indeed ever did in the 

 past — contain any aquatic vegetation. 



Physical features: 



General description — The Boiling Springs Lakes area includes r, series of 

 sor.e SS doline ponds trending NE-SW in direction of distribution. 

 Relief in the area is generally sr.all, ranging to a nr.virun of about 

 5 or 6n. The area comprises and is surrounded by a nur:ber of relatively 

 flat, pine doninated vegetational conn-.unities. 



Topography — Nearly 100 irregularly shaped depressions with gently sloping 

 to moderately sloping walls, and ranging fron 5 to 500 3 across the 

 widest point, are to be found xsrithin the area. These ponds are believed to 

 have resulted from surface slumping caused by subsurface solution of the 

 underlying Castle Hayne Linestone. 



Geology — The surficial sediments are marine-deposited sands and clays of 

 the Panlico Terrace of Pleistocene a-e, overlying the Castle Hayne 

 Limestone of Eocene age. 



Rare plants and animals: 



An attempt was made in the Boiling Springs Lakes area to substantiate all 

 of the old records of threatened and endangered plant species as are contained 

 in the computer file of the N.G_. Natural Heritage i='ro-'ram. I v.-as, however, 

 unable to relocate any of the old records, llost of the failures to substan- 

 tiate the records relate to changes in habitat conditions within the area that 

 have occurred with the progression of residential development of the tract 

 since i960. For example, the witch-alder ( Fothergilla gardenii ) reported from 

 the Allen Creek area in 1950 has succumbed to the clearing and flooding of the 

 area to form Boiling Springs Lake. 



It is probable that loose water milfoil ( r'yriophyllum laxun) , beakrush 

 ( Rhyncospora pleiantha ) , and other threatened and endangered species associated 

 with doline ponds could be turned up by a systematic search of the 9^^ ponds in 

 the area. However, due to the changes taking iDlace in the ponds as discussed 

 previously, in conjunction with the relatively advanced state of residential 

 development of the area, such a search would probably prove to be rointless. 



In contrast to the situation with regard to threatened and endangered 

 species of plants, there is at least one animal , the endangered red-cockaded 

 woodpecker, which is of special interst here. The Boiling Springs La".:es 

 population of red-cockaded woodpeckers probably represents the largest breeding 



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