61 



The above refers to the Pinus palustris / Aristida stricta community of 

 the sand ridges. However, within this tract, there are inter-ridge 

 swales dominated by Pinus serotina /mixed broadleaf evergreen shrubs 

 (pocosin vegetation). These pocosin swales and the adjacent ecotonal 

 areas have generally escaped burning d^oring prescribed burns. They are 

 less flammable (wetter) and fire breaks have been dug between the 

 ridges and the swales by the Forest Service to contain fires. Some of 

 the ecotonal areas are affected by the fire breaks. If these areas 

 could be burned regularly, there would be some conversion of broadleaf 

 evergreen shrubs to grass-sedge cover. The entire tract would "benefit" 

 from the intorduction (or re-introduction) of a "fire habitat" that is 

 rarer in this area (county and Croatan National Forest) than is scattered 

 Pinus palustris with a thick growth of Aristida stricta . The resulting 

 vegetation would be scattered Pinus palustris or Pinus serotina or no 

 trees with a very thick growth of more mesophyllic grasses and sedges. 



This situation occurred to a moderate extent in June I98O after an 

 intense wildfire. Before the fire, the ecotonal strips were primarily 

 vegetated with a sparse growth of herbs and shrubs less than one foot 

 in height. After the fire, these same strips had a lush waist-high 

 growth of mixed grasses and sedges. These thick grassy areas (which are 

 thicker than the thickest Aristida cover) may be very important to winter- 

 ing Bachman's sparrows and Henslows sparrows. Henslows sparrows are 

 undergoing a pronounced nationwide decline in numbers. In the winter of 

 I979-I98O, several searches within the tract for this sparrow turned up 

 one individual. On November 12 and 13, 19S0, after the drastic increase 

 in grass cover after the J\ine wildfie, 5. individuals were censused here 

 - a truly noteworthy total. 



Although fire eventually leads to a great increase in the density 

 of ground flora, there is virtually no ground cover for awhile. It 

 might be advisable to alternate burning instead of burning the entire 

 tract at one time. For instance, burn the eastern half one year and 

 the western half the next year, etc. 



b) maintenance of the diversity of ground flora. This is closely 

 related to the maintenance of vegetational structure discussed above. 

 Those recommendations also apply here, especially the need for frequent 

 ground fires. We re-stress the potential value of more burning in the 

 pocosin and ecotonal areas. Currently, it is the ecotonal areas that 

 harbor the rarest plants on the tract: Calamovilfa brevipilis , Sarracenia 

 rubra , Dionaea muscitula and Ag-alinis virgata . Increased burning in 



the ecotonal and pocosin areas could lead to increases in the populations 

 of these species and increase the likelihood of the introduction of 

 other rare savannah species that occur in the general area, out not 

 within the tract. 



c) maintenance of the presence of some mature pines. Trees 

 generally 60 years old or older are a necessity for red-cockaded 

 woodpeckers. Increased burning in the pocosin areas could lead to greater 

 red-cockaded woodpecker use of Pinus serotina for cavity trees, ana these 

 are generally undesirable timber trees. 



The management of the tract by the Forest Service for longleaf 

 pine saw timber is generally consistent with maintenance of the tract 

 in its present high-quality state. The important things are to protect 



