22. Threats: 



Logging is a constant likelihood in high-quality hardwood 

 stands such as these, and is underway at the southern edge of 

 the Federal Paper hardwood flat, in one of the best quality 

 stands. Stands adjacent to the Federal Paper and Stonewall 

 natural areas have been heavily logged within the last three 

 years. An associated threat is the initiation of drainage, 

 which always accompanies modern logging in the form of ditches 

 bordering woods roads. Severe and permanent site alteration may 

 also stem from treatment of a given hardwood stand in the after- 

 math of logging. Systematic drainage may be installed and the 

 acreage converted to an agricultural use , or a pine plantation 

 may be established. 



Sheet flow from Light Ground Pocosin drains into the 

 two most important hardwood stands described here (Lee Otte, 

 pers. coram., 1982), and the hydrology of the natural areas 

 is thus closely linked to conditions in Light Ground. That 

 pocosin is being drained and developed, with possible drying 

 effects on the hardwood stands. 



23. Management and Preservation Recommendation: 



No palustrine hardwood flats are highly protected in the 

 Coastal Plain of North Carolina, and the authors know of no 

 similar communities in protective ownership elsewhere in the 

 Southeast. One publicly-owned example, of somewhat younger 

 second growth than the Federal Paper and Stonewall sites, is 

 located on the Gull Rock Game Land in Hyde County. A second 

 excellent example in that county is protected by a private 

 individual. The protection status of these two areas could 

 well change suddenly. 



The hardwood flats ecosystem is little-studied and barely 

 mentioned in the ecological literature of North Carolina, despite 

 its intriguing hydrologic and edaphic diversity. Additionally, 

 this once fairly common vegetation type is now scarce, having 

 been reduced by logging and clearing for agriculture and silvi- 

 culture. The palustrine mixed hardwood community will very 

 likely cease to exist in any significant acreage, and pass 

 from the scene unstudied, unless some examples are protected 

 quickly. 



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