The Albemarle Sound Whole System boasts an abundance of flooplain forest systems – over 500,000 acres -  situated along main stems of the region’s larger rivers and tributaries.   Acre for acre, these forests provide a tremendous range of ecosystem services from water quality protection and flood abatement benefiting human communities to critical habitat for migratory fish, songbirds and other wildlife species.  Wetlands dominating floodplain corridors are particularly important for wildlife movement. 

The composition and age of forests observed today are a result of historic natural disturbances, several centuries of timber management practices and more recently, land conservation.  Over the past 30 years, the Conservancy and other partners have helped protect 125,000 acres of floodplain areas to ensure the presence of older-growth forest habitat.