NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



333 



grandifoUa) , yellow birch (Betula lutea), 

 white pine (Pinus strobus), hemlock 

 (Tsuga canadensis), type of the Alle- 

 gheny Plateau (Allegheny Transition); 

 (4) Species of 3 plus red sprvce (Picea 

 rubra) and some upland balsam (Ahies 

 balsamea) of the Adirondacks from 1000 

 to 2500 ft. (Canadian Transition); (5) 

 Red spruce, balsam, paper birch {Betula 

 papyrifera), mountain ash (Pyriis ameri- 

 cana) of Adirondacks 2500 to 2500 ft. 

 (Canadian). Generally much modified 

 by human ageacj^, but in Adirondacks, 

 approximately as original. In general 

 the present secondary forests tend to 

 repeat original types. The mammalian 

 fauna included bison (Bison bison), at 

 least as far east as the salt licks at 

 Syracuse, moose (Aloes americana) "over 

 the entire state," but "extinct since the 

 early sixties," caribou (Rangifer caribou) 

 probably in the Adirondacks, elk (Cervus 

 canadensis) "throughout the state, ex- 

 tinct since early part of the nineteenth 

 century," Virginia deer (Odocoileus 

 virginianus) still abundant, northeastern 

 cougar (Felis couguar), bob-cat (Lynx 

 rufus), Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis), 

 timber wolf (Canis lycaon), black bear 

 (Ursus americanus), wolverine (Gulo 

 luscus), marten (Maries americana), 

 fisher (Martes pennanti), and southern 

 representatives, such as the opossum 

 (Didelphis virginiana) and southern 

 flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans). 



II. NATURAL AREAS 



1. Areas of biological interest 



New York State has a large number of 

 parks, reserves, and memorial tracts of 

 varying character, among which the 

 following are subject to treatment as 

 preserved natural areas. 



1. The Adirondack Park. (A2.) The 

 central portion of the Adirondack Moun- 

 tain region embracing 3,313,564, acres 

 of which 49% is State land. A diversi- 

 fied and geologically very old mountain 

 region of much worn, rounded sumuiils 

 with extreme elevation of 5344 ft. (Mt. 

 Marcy) and in general from 1500 to 

 2000 ft. Pronounced glacial effects seen 



in modification of ancient drainage 

 (filling of streamways and creation of 

 large numbers of glacial lakes, e.g., 

 the Fulton Chain). The Adirondack 

 Park, being one of the great recreation 

 grounds of America and within easy 

 reach of at least one-fifth of its popula- 

 tion, is annually penetrated to the 

 remotest points by tourists, campers, 

 hunters, and anglers. Hence, very 

 little, if any, of it may be said to be 

 wholly unmodified. Nevertheless, the 

 state lands within it and some of the 

 privately owned and club lands have 

 been preserved in approximately natural 

 condition. 



The vegetation complex embraces: 

 Approximately natural areas of (I) 

 upland forest (a) of sugar maple, beech, 

 yellow birch, white pine, hemlock, and 

 red spruce (Canadian Transition zone), 

 (b), of red spruce, white spruce, balsam, 

 paper birch and mountain ash (Canadian 

 zone) ; (2) mountain summits with dwarf 

 red spruce, white spruce, balsam fir and 

 paper birch (Canadian zone species) 

 and numerous alpine plants, as Diapen- 

 sia lapponica, Lapland rose bay (Rodo- 

 dendron lapponicum), crowberry (Em- 

 petrum nigrum), bearberry willow (Salix 

 Uva-ursi) (Arctic-Alpine zone) ; (3) bogs 

 with sphagnum-sedge, heath-shrub, and 

 bog forest cover of black spruce (Picea 

 mariana), tamarack (Larix laricina) 

 and arbor vitae (Thuja occidentalis) . 



References: 



Bray, Wm. L. Development of the 

 Vegetation of New York. State 

 Tenical Publ. 3: N. Y. State Coll. 

 Forestry, 1915. 



Miller, Gerritt S., Jr. N. Y. Mam- 

 mals, Bull. N. Y. State Mus., 

 vol. 6, No. 29: 1899. 



Eaton, E. H. Birds of New York, 

 2 vols., Univ. State of New York, 

 Albany. 



Streams are generally free from pol- 

 lution, and the game fish of these and the 

 lakes are maintained by stocking from 

 state hatcheries (e.g.. Old Forge, Sara- 

 nac Inn station). 



