usually in relatively young age classes. In these situations 

 the white cedar forms dense , uniform-height stands excluding 

 most other species except for bay and pocosin shrubs which 

 usually form a rather sparse low shrub layer. These stands 

 range in height from 15 feet up to 35-40 feet with the older 

 stands having a more diverse mixture of other swamp forest 

 canopy trees. 



The shrub layer is moderately well developed in this 

 community, but not extremely dense or diverse. Typical 

 species include sweet pepperbush, highbush blueberry and 

 sweet gallberry. Herbs are scarce; some partridgeberry 

 ( Mitchella repens ) and netted chain fern ( Woodwardia 

 areolata ) are usually found. 



These monospecific stands develop after fire or clear- 

 cutting, when open, sunny conditions promote germination 

 and subsequent rapid growth of seedlings. Within the 

 natural area are several stands ranging from several acres 

 to over 200 acres in size almost all of which are located 

 within the swamp blackgum-mixed conifer dominated communities. 



A fourth and very different community is a series of 

 pond pine stands located in the western and northeastern 

 corners of the natural area. The most extensive area is 

 located east and northeast of Swan Creek Lake and extends 

 into Dare County. This portion was examined only during 

 a brief aerial reconnaissance. The western section is 

 located along 4th Avenue West near the margin of large 

 agricultural fields adjacent to the southern boundary of 

 the natural area. 



The community type in closely-examined stands is Pinus 

 serotina/Acer rubrum-Persea borbonia/ mixed shrubs (Pond pine/ 

 Red maple-red bay /mixed shrubs; CT 4) . The canopy size classes 

 are varied in this community but most of the stands are mature 

 ranging to old-growth. The largest pines seen are along 4th 

 Avenue West on a 700-acre stand (see map ) . Here the average 

 dbh is 12-14 inches, height about 70 feet and the canopy is 

 open. The subcanopy in this stand is poorly defined; red 

 maple is present but not dominant, and a few pockets of 

 swamp black gum occur locally. Associated with the latter 

 are scattered bald cypress which join pond pine in the canopy. 

 A distinctly lower tall-shrub stratum is composed of red bay 

 and lesser amounts of small red maples. .The lowest shrubs 

 present include fetterbush and bitter gallberry beneath the 

 red bay layer; some cane ( Arundinaria gigantea ) also occupies 

 this lowest layer. These species do not form a dense growth 

 and the ground is fairly open within the stand. 



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