lib. Prose Description of Site Significance: 



The Federal Paper and Stonewall natural areas , which are 

 parts of the same system, together make up one of the two 

 highest quality non-alluvial hydric hardwood stands in the 

 entire Coastal Plain of North Carolina, with quality being 

 defined in terms of absence of recent disturbance , recovery 

 from past disturbance, diversity of biologic, edaphic and 

 hydrologic factors, extensiveness, average size of canopy 

 trees, well-developed stratification, and the representation 

 of a full range of communities and ecological conditions 

 functioning as a system. To the knowledge of the authors, 

 only one site, in Hyde County, surpasses the Federal Paper 

 and Stonewall tracts in these natural qualities. 



In addition to virtually intact gradients in soil 

 moisture, soil organic matter content, and other factors, 

 various microhabitats including hummocks, pools and ele- 

 vated tree -bases add to the habitat diversity of the natural 

 areas. These stands offer exceptional opportunities for 

 field study of an extensive and complete ecosystem which 

 has scarcely been recognized by the state's plant ecologists 

 and foresters since the time of W. W. Ashe. The Federal Paper 

 and Stonewall hardwood stands are important examples of a 

 little-known ecosystem which contributes to the plant com- 

 munity diversity of the North Carolina Coastal Plain. 



The Merritt natural area is extensive but does not 

 equal the preceding two natural areas in significance. 

 It is, however, the best example observed of a non-alluvial 

 hardwood community on the very wet mineral soils common in the 

 extreme eastern part of the county. We present it in this 

 report to further indicate the variation found in the ecology 

 of hardwood communities in Pamlico County. 



23 



