_ 42 _ 



Dangers to Integrity: The existing unnatural conditions will 

 be alleviated upon completion of NPS clean-up operations. 



Protection Status: Under NPS management plans, most of the 

 islands will be managed as natural areas. 



Reasons for Significance: Core Bank and Portsmouth Island 

 have experienced a variety of historical alterations 

 caused by both human and natural influences. Today they 

 exist as unmanipulated, remote barrier islands and serve 

 as excellent examples of the many stages of barrier island 

 development. In this way they are singularly important 

 to North Carolina's heritage since most other barrier 

 islands have been extensively developed and/or have been 

 subject to unnatural dune and shoreline construction. 

 Limited access to these islands has been the responsible 

 factor in limiting their development. The islands have 

 been left to respond naturally to the forces of wind and 

 ocean. Dramatic geological changes have resulted which 

 are worthy of study. 



Core and Portsmouth can be described as long and narrow, 

 low lying barrier islands resembling sand bars because of 

 their extensive berra and shrub-grassland vegetation. The 

 islands are oriented predominantly across prevailing 

 winds; there is little protection from salt spray, and 

 overwash is frequent thus providing little opportunity 

 for successional growth beyond the lush terrestrial 

 grass-like Guthrie's Hammock with its savannah-like 

 appearance. As an indication of the islands' unstable 

 nature and dynamic tendencies, certain conditions prevail: 

 the islands feature the most extensive beach berms, 

 especially Portsmouth which has barren sand in places 

 reaching to the sound side. The development of new dunes 

 can be observed and the concomitant establishment of dune 

 vegetation. Vegetation zonation and sand flats is a 

 result of overwash and terracing rather than exposure to 

 salt spray as observed on islands where the dunes are 

 larger and more stable. Hence, these islands experience 

 vegetation patterns slightly different from what is observed 

 in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore islands since dune 

 stabilization has never been initiated and natural 

 conditions prevail. In contrast to the vast berm new 

 dunes and pioneer grasses, dune slacks closer to the sound 

 side provide mesic conditions vjhere rich, diverse flora 

 can be found. Furthermore, low, flat mesic meadows offer 

 additional diversity. These are below the typical elevation 

 of the flats and closer to the water table. Here grass- 

 lands may succeed to woody vegetation if environmental 

 stress is minimized. Blending gradually into the mari- 

 time grasslands on the sound side are vast salt marshes 

 which are the site of high biological productivity. 



Several rare, uncommon plant and animal species live 

 on these Banks. The Atlantic Loggerhead Sea Turtle nests 

 on the islands. 



