OUTLINE OF PRINCIPAL VEGETATION TYPES IN PAMLICO COUNTY 



I. Aquatic Communities - submerged and floating aquatic plants are 

 found in numerous areas of Pamlico County, principally in 

 the brackish water habitats which abound along the estuarine 

 shorelines and localized embayments of the county. Fresh- 

 water habitats are much scarcer in the county, but fresh- 

 water aquatics are undoubtedly present in the few small, 

 non -embayed creeks. 



II. Wetland Communities 



A. Brackish Marsh - extremely abundant in the eastern part of 



the county along Pamlico Sound, the Pamlico River and 

 their embayed tributaries. Also present along the 

 Neuse River shoreline in scattered locales. 



B. Freshwater Marsh - very uncommon in the county. Small amounts 



of fresh or near-fresh marsh were noted at the head of 

 Brown Creek in the eastern part of Pamlico County, and 

 additional small fresh marshes may be present in the 

 upper reaches of other local embayments. 



C. Cypress-gum-lowland conifers Swamp Forest ( Taxodium distichum- 



Nyssa sylvatica var. biflora- lowland conifers) - A once 

 fairly extensive community in Pamlico County, now much 

 reduced by logging and land clearing. An excellent small 

 example was noted at the head of Upper Broad Creek, in 

 which loblolly pine is the coniferous element. Lesser 

 examples are present further down the same creek and at 

 the heads of local embayments throughout the county. 

 Examples of palustrine, as opposed to riverine, swamp 

 forest may be present in the Gum Swamp vicinity along 

 the Pamlico-Beaufort County line , where additional 

 field work is needed. Interestingly, almost no Atlantic 

 white cedar was seen in Pamlico County, although W. W. 

 Ashe (1894) reported 3000 acres "partly lumbered," near 

 Vandemere in Gum Swamp. 



D. Mixed Hardwood Flats - this community consists primarily of 



oaks , including swamp chestnut oak ( Quercus michauxii ) , 

 laurel oak (Q. laurifolia ) and cherrybark oak (Q. pago- 

 daefolia ) . Loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda ) is usually a 

 common component. Other hardwoods present in varying 

 proportions , depending on site conditions , are tulip 



