■38- 



f lights. As mature habitat, the area offers a haven for endangered 

 plants and animals gerraaine to pocosin-type systems. Plants such 

 as resinous Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium resinosum ) , white wicky 

 (Kalmia cuneata) and rough-leaf loosestrife (Lysimachia 

 asperulaefolia ) and animals such as pine-barrens treefrog (Hyla 

 andersoni ) and black bear (Ursus americanus) could occur here. 

 Sign of bear were noticed at the site. Certainly large tracts of 

 habitat along estuarine margins are among the last strongholds for 

 bear in this state. Tyrrell County seems to have a bear population 

 worthy of further investigation and areas such as Buck Island 

 should be aquired whenever possible. The community type, age, 

 remoteness and habitat quality of Buck Island all argue for its 

 registration as a natural area. Further investigation should lead 

 to a firm basis in fact to support the indications given here. 



24. Natural Chateristics Summary 



a. Vegetation-Biotic Community Summary 



Community type: Pinus serotina/Gordonia lasianthus-Persea 

 borbonia/Ilex coriacea-Lyonia lucida 



Community cover type: Pinus serotina 



General habitat feature: Bay forest 



Average tree height: 42 feet 



Estimated size of association (sq. meters, acres, etc.): 

 1,368 acres 



Successional stage: Climax (best guess) could go to Gordonia 

 forest? 



Sere tjrpe: Psammosere? 



Common canopy species in community cover type or community 

 type (but not dominant) : Gordonia lasianthus 



Common subcanopy-shrub stratum species in community cover type 

 or community type (but not dominant) : 



Lyonia ligustrina, Vaccinium corymbosum 



Common herb stratum species in community type (but not 



dominant) : None 



b. Soil Summary 



Source of information: General Soil Map, Tyrrell County, 

 USDA-SCS Rev. 7-72 



Soil association: Belhaven-Dare-Dorovan 



