■33- 



The area is poorly drained and periodically flooded in the 

 wintertime. During summers, the site is usually dry. Most 

 drainage is by sheet flow to the Alligator River or downward 

 through the organic horizon to the water table. 



Upon first glance, the system seems two-layered instead of 

 three-layered. The canopy and sub-canopy become obvious only after 

 several minutes careful study. Much closer to the realities of 

 walking, the shrub layer is immediately obvious and often painfully 

 so. 



The mature pond pines, ranging from 70-80 years in age, are 

 certainly as fine a stand of this species as I have seen. The many 

 large loblolly bays of the canopy and sub-canopy are worthy of 

 documentation. The occasional red bay gains true arboreal stature 

 which I have seen at few other localities. In all, the canopy 

 seems mature and unaltered since regeneration at about the turn of 

 the century. 



The shrub layer is made up of sweet gallberry, fetter-bush, 

 male-berry (Lyonia ligustrina ) , and sparkleberry (Vaccinitim 

 corymbosum ) . The resulting tangle is sufficiently dense to render 

 "impenetrable" an euphemism. Not only can you not walk, you can't 

 see where you are not walking. However aggravating this situation 

 may be, it has some good points. First, it keeps human activity to 

 a minimum. Second, it provides food in the form of foliage and 

 berries. Third, it provides excellent cover. For these reasons, 

 the site should be reasonably rich in wildlife. In particular, 

 sign of black bear (Ursus americanus ) were found on the site. As 

 Buck Island is a little over 2 square miles in size, it may not be 

 able to support bear by itself. However, it might be organized as 

 part of a larger county-wide refuge and corridor system to preserve 

 present bear populations in Tyrrell County. 



In summary. Buck Island is an excellent example of bay forest, 

 which is not currently disturbed by commercial or recreational 

 interests. Because of this lack of disturbance. Buck Island and 

 large acreages of surrounding community types make excellent 

 wildlife habitat, in particular for black bear. 



