The value of a site for game and non-game wildlife habitat was 

 also used as a selection criteria. An attempt was made to adequately 

 survey the vertebrate faunal diversity of each site and make com- 

 parisons with adjacent areas and other potential natural areas. In 

 this way, the relative importance of an area for wildlife values 

 could be determined. The diversity of habitats within the natural 

 areas as well as the aerial extent of the site also entered into 

 the evaluation. Large tracts containing a diversity of habitat 

 types and allowing movement of large, wide-roaming mammals were 

 given a higher priority over smaller, more restrictive and less 

 diverse sites. 



As a result of this study, it is felt that all of the major 

 large tracts containing significant natural areas have been iden- 

 tified. Time and budget restraints prevented an adequate survey 

 of all the small blocks of woodlands scattered in the county. It 

 is possible that additional significant sites remain undiscovered 

 in the remaining small tracts. 



Six significant natural areas were identified ranging in size 

 from 149 acres to 6450 acres. These tracts cover a variety of 

 edaphic and biotic habitat types ranging from mesic upland hard- 

 woods to swamp forest and upland pocosin to freshwater lakeshore 

 marsh. Each of the natural areas has been influenced in varying 

 degrees by past and present cultural disturbances; however, it is 

 felt these disturbances have not been severe enough to significantly 

 reduce their biological integrity. All but one of these sites are 

 exclusively wetland habitats. 



The six natural areas are : 



1) Van Swamp: 2450 acres. Palustrine, non-alluvial 



swamp forest and pond pine pocosin. 



2) East Dismal Swamp: 1630 acres. Palustrine, non- 



alluvial swamp forest. 



3) Pettigrew State Park (2 natural areas) Total acreage: 



250. Lakeshore baldcypress stand and freshwater 

 marsh system. 



4) Conaby Creek-Roanoke River: 3240 acres. Palustrine 



and riverine swamp forest associated with drainage 

 basin. 



5) Bull's Neck Swamp: 6450 areas. Palustrine swamp forest 



associated with drainage basin. 



6) Chapel Swamp: 149 acres. Alluvial swamp forest and 



mesic upland hardwoods. 



