the pond between ridges. LocaJ. relief ranges to ^m, from pond 

 basin to upland ridgetops, : - , ^ 



Geology- — The surficial sediments are narine deposited sands and clays 

 of the Pamlico Terrace of Pleistocene age, probably overlying the 

 Castle Hayne Limestone of Eocene age, and possibly overlying the 

 Duplin Marl of Late Miocene age. 



Soils--(l) Pond area and surrounding flatwood communities: Leon 

 series; a sandy, siliceous, thermic Aerie Haplaquod. 

 (2) Adjacent upland ridges: Uando series; a mixed, thermic 

 Typic Udipsacment, 



Bare plants and animals: 



Sciurus niger . Southern fox squirrel. Special concern. Signs indi- 

 cating presence of the fox squirrel v/ere noticeable throughout the 

 upland area surrounding the pond, and one individual -wcis observed 

 within the dense shrub thicket v/hich surrounds the pond. 



No other threatened or endangered plant or animal species were col- 

 lected or observed in the Spring Creek Fond area. However, individual 

 longleaf pines of sufficient size and age to be utilized for nesting by 

 the red-cockaded wood-oecker (Dendroconus borealis) were numerous along 

 the ridge south of the pond, although no actual cavity trees were sighted. 



Publications and scientific references: 



Blankenship, S.R, 1965. I^econnaissance of the ground-water resources 

 of the Southport-Elizabethtown area. North Carolina. N.C, Dept, Water I?es,, 

 Div. Ground Water, Ground-Water Bui. No, 6. ^7 pp. 



Daniels, R.B,, et_, al. 197S, Age of soil landscapes in the coastal 

 plain area of North Carolina. Soil Sci. Soc. Am, J. ^2: 98-105, 



Eadford, A.S,, e_t. al. 1964. Manual of the Vascular Flora of the 

 Carolinas. UNC Press. Chapel Hill, N.C. II83 pp. 



Site ecological significance: . 



The ecologically significant features of the Spring Creel: Pond -rea 

 are outlined: 



1) The com-nunity type v;hich occurs within the 2-acre pond — ZlGor>r.ris 

 equisetoides/Nymphaea odorata — is not present elsewhere in ; runs.;ic-c 

 County, and is unknown for other locations in the southeastern 

 coastal plain of North Carolina. 



2) The two highly unusual black gun domes located at the center of 

 Spring Creek Pond have been observed in a less well developed state 

 at one other disturbed location within the county, but no such other 

 domes are known to exist within an undisturbed pond community else- 

 where in the county, nor in the entire region. 



Management recommendations: 



There are apparently no immediate threats to the integrity of the vege- 

 ^tational communities comprising this unusua.1 plant assemblage; hov/ever, with 

 the rapid rate at which similar coastal tracts throughout the region are 

 being developed and "urbanized," the Spring Creek Pond area is alrer.dy in 

 the apparent position of representing a parcel of prime residential property, 



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