Various grasses and forbs provide ground cover in the forested and pasture areas. About one-sixth of the area is owned and used by the federal government for military posts such as Fort Bragg Military Reservation in North Carolina. Only a small percentage of the land is used for urban development and other purposes, although several very high quality, world famous golf courses have been developed. Some orchards and small commercial fruit and vegetable farms are scattered throughout the area. This region has an udic moisture regime with average annual precipitation ranging from 1150 to 1275 mm.
Maximum precipitation occurs in the summer and the minimum is in winter.
The average frost-free period ranges from 220 to 240 days. Topography Elevation in MLRA 137 ranges from 50 to 200 m above sea level. The area is dissected with rolling to hilly uplands. Local relief is only a few meters, but some hills are 25 to 50 m above adjacent areas. Hydrogeology Precipitation, perennial streams, and ground water are plentiful, however, low water holding capacity and rapid permeability of the soils severely limit plant growth unless irrigation water is used.