bisection of the bay by Ashes Creek. Streamflow, however, is not 

 toward the southeast as one would logically surmise from examination 

 of maps, but instead, is in the opposite direction. 



Surrounding vegetation is mostly dense evergreen shrub pocosin 

 beneath an open pond pine canopy on the south; on the north is a 

 wet, incipient savanna (now mostly covered with shrubs as a result 

 of fire prevention) . Canopy species vary north of the ridge, and 

 depending upon elevation, and hence, water regime, may be longleaf 

 pine, pond pine, or a combination of each. 



Vegetation of Southwest Ridge is predominantly open longleaf 

 pine woods with a marginal pond pine ecotone (along with wiregrass) . 

 There are no turkey oaks present on the ridge. Ground cover is com- 

 prised of wiregrass and creeping blueberry as dominants with scattered 

 clones or individuals of other herbaceous / or rarely, woody species. 

 A shrub layer as well as a subcanopy are missing. Bases of the long- 

 leaf pines are not charred, thus ruling out fire as a causative agent 

 in preventing development of woodv subcanopy layers, although longleaf 

 pine is traditionally recognized as a fire-maintained edaphic climax. 

 Grass-stage seedlings and saplings of longleaf pine are sparse and do 

 not show any visible and obvious colonization pattern. Dead canopy 

 trees are also sparse, although present over much of the ridge, and 

 they appear to have died as a result of factors other than lightning 

 strikes. 



Human occupancy of the site is presumed to be prehistoric, and 

 site use continues to the present on a seasonal basis. Fabric- 

 impressed, grit-tempered potsherds and cracked rock and flakes were 

 recovered from exposed soil on the northeast counterpart of Southwest 

 Ridge. Many of the longleaf pines show scars from the turpentine/ 

 naval stores industry, and as late as 1954-56, the area was selectively 

 logged. Southwest Ridge is a popular hunting area, and in addition to 

 pedestrian access from Lodge Road south of the site, a jeep trail has 

 been constructed from the north. (This access road was not investigated 

 during the study . ) 



Detailed discussion of the Holly Shelter area is found in B. W. 

 Wells' "Vegetation of Holly Shelter Wildlife Management Area"; N. C. 

 Dept. Cons, and Dev., Div. Game and Inland Fisheries, Bulletin #2 

 (1946) . 



11B. Prose Description of Site Significance: The features of Southwest 



Ridge which are most distinctive to the first-time visitor are (1) the 

 contrast in vegetation types between the extraordinarily dense pocosin 

 and the open, park-like appearance of the ridge; (2) the lack of a 

 shrub layer, which accentuates the height of the pines; (3) the 

 isolation of the site; and (4) the abrupt rise in elevation, as one 

 approaches the ridge from the south. 



The combination of a relatively large and vigorous population 



66 



