NATURAL AREA DIVERSITY SUMI'lARY 



Climate: A. Mesothermal; AA. Warm Temperate. B. Cool, Moist; 



BB , Moderately hot & Moderately warm, Moderately wet & Moderately 

 dry. C. Very long; CC . Similar to regional. Extremely dry to 

 Extremely wet. 



Soils: A. Entisol; AA. Psamment. B. Quartzipsamment ; BB . Typic 

 quartz ipsamment , BB . Aquic quartzipsamment. C. Thermic, uncoated 

 typic quartzipsamment, C. Thermic, uncoated aquic quartzipsamment; 

 CC. Leon. A. Histosol; AA. Fibrist, AA. Saprist. B. Medi- 

 fibrist, B. Sphagnof ibrist , B, Medisaprist; BB . Typic medi- 

 fibrist, BB. Limnic sphagnof ibrist , BB. Lemnic medisaprist. 

 C. Thermic typic medifibrist, C. Sandy, coprogenous , euic, 

 thermic limnic sphagnof ibrist , C. Coprogenous, euic, thermic 

 limnic medisaprist; CC . Peat, CC. Muck. 



Geology: A. Pleistocene, Sedimentary; AA. Deposit, B. Planner 

 Beach Formation; BB . Siliceous. C. Highly acid; CC . Quartz 

 sand . 



Hydrology: A. Emergent wetland, A. Vascular aquatic, A. Floating- 

 leaved aquatic; AA. Seasonally to permanently flooded. B. Fresh; 

 BB . Acid. C. Unconsolidated sediments, C. Organic bottom; 

 CC . Siliceous, CC . Carbonaceous. 



Hydrography: A. Broad Creek &, Sanders Creek which drain into Bogue 

 Sound, Palustrine; AA. Natural impoundment ponds. B. Patsy Pond 

 and associated ponds, Interaqueous depths and substrates. 

 C. Smooth, C. Hummocks; CC . Open, variously exposed, nearly 

 level to gently sloping slopes. 



Topography: A. Ridge; AA. Old beach ridge system. B. Patsy Pond 

 Area; BB. Sand ridges, BB . Constant slopes, BB . Flats, BB . 

 Seepage zone. C. Gently undulating, C. Smooth; CC . Open, 

 variously exposed, nearly level to gently sloping slopes. 



DISCUSSION 



The Patsy Pond Natural Area is a series of naturally impounded 

 ponds on the Outer Coastal Plain of North Carolina. These ponds 

 occur in an area which is an old beach ridge system of Pleistocene 

 age (Newport sand member of the Planner Beach Formation). The 

 Newport sands consist primarily of well-sorted sands believed to 

 constitute barrier deposits emplaced on the downdrift side of an 

 ancestral Neuse River (Mixon and Pilkey, 1975). Near the study 

 area, this member has been shown to overlie a layer of bluish-gray 

 clayey sand and abundant molluscan and ostracod fauna (indicative of 

 Pleistocene age). The study site seems to be on an erosional slope 

 of a broad sand ridge. Wind, sheet and stream erosion has produced 

 very gently sloping sand ridges and sand flats. The stream.s flow 

 into either the West Prong of Broad Creek or the East Prong of 

 Sanders Creek. The ponds appear to be products of natural impound- 

 ing of old stream.s. 



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