mixed mesic hardwood stands. Ground cover is usually 100% 

 with the same species composition present. 



The ground surface of the sweetgum-hardwood stands is 

 slightly undulating or uneven. There are many scattered 

 depressions which contain standing water up to 6 inches 

 deep. These semipermanent pools are not large enough to 

 noticeably affect the canopy tree distribution. However, 

 they clearly affect the distribution of the ground cover 

 species and some of the shrubs. Virginia chain fern 

 usually is found growing in dense patches only within the 

 depressions. Bayberry is also associated with the pools; 

 it forms dense thickets in and around some of them. It 

 is probable that standing water covers most if not all 

 of the area periodically during the winter months and that 

 only the deeper depressions retain standing water during 

 the late summer and autumn. 



Scattered old stumps are present throughout. There 

 is no evidence of cutting within the past 40-50 years, 

 at least within the game lands portion of the hardwood 

 stands. Although the entire area shows signs of past 

 cutting disturbance, much of it has regained characteristics 

 usually associated with mature or climax stands : distinct 

 zonation of canopy and herb layers; open, park-like under- 

 story; and low density and frequency of introduced exotics, 

 i.e., Japonese honeysuckle and swamp privet. 



The soils of the sweetgum-hardwood stands has been 

 mapped as the Weeksville-Pasquotank association (SCS 1973) . 

 These are very poorly drained mineral soils which occur 

 around the periphery of Lake Mattamuskeet. Portions of 

 the hardwood stands rrtay lie in areas dominated by the Hyde- 

 Bayboro association. This association of very poorly 

 drained mineral soils occurs as a wide zone south of the 

 Weeksville-Pasquotank soils and is transitional to the 

 shallow organic soils occurring within the Pungo-Belhaven- 

 Wasda association. 



(2) Gull Rock Pond Pine Pocosin 



This vegetation association occupies much of the central 

 and southern portions of the natural area. It is characterized 

 by dense stands of pond pine ( Pinus serotina ) . 



The association is located south of the adjoining sweet- 

 gum-hardwood stands. It is by far the largest of the four 

 associations, encompassing about 7000 acres. The eastern 



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