of the county have retained considerable integrity of composition 

 in the face of repeated logging cycles - although with changes in 

 the age class structure and increased presence of some species 

 which are promoted by disturbance or by selective removal of 

 their competitors. Recovery after logging is most complete in 

 communities where extensive ditches have not been constructed. 

 The vegetation of northeastern Hyde County in particular still 

 exhibits a remarkable correlation with soil types, an observation 

 which supports the conclusion that edaphic and related hydrologic 

 and nutrient conditions still exert a controlling influence on the 

 basic wetland communities of that part of the county. 



Contemporary disturbances affecting the Hyde County vegetation 

 include continued timber cutting, fire suppression, clearing of 

 wetland vegetation and draining of wetland soils for agriculture , 

 and potentially, peat mining. The now-common practice of exten- 

 sive ditching in conjunction with timbering will shift wetland 

 sites toward drier conditions and prevent the self-maintenance 

 and recovery of the vegetation. This process is much further 

 advanced and readily observable in the Dismal Swamp (cf. Meanley, 

 1979) . 



Modern fire control and suppression also contribute to vege- 

 tational changes. Fire is a natural and common force in the pocc- 

 sin vegetation which dominates the south-central and northeast 

 parts of the county. Fire/vegetation relationships cannot be 

 adequately expressed solely in terms of fire presence or fire 

 absence, however. Where fire occurs, as in Hyde County pocosins, 

 its influence on vegetation will be in large measure a function 

 of its frequency. Although large wildfires continue to occur, 

 fire frequency is being reduced over much of the county, purposely 

 through fire control and incidentally through creation of cleared 

 areas which act as firebreaks. 



Long term land-use commitments such as agricultural develop- 

 ment obviously require an effectively permanent alteration of the 

 ecosystem, including both biotic and abiotic components. Recent, 

 ongoing and proposed land conversion on the Hyde mainland totals 

 many thousands of acres. Peat mining is the ultimate consumptive 

 use proposed thus far for mainland Hyde County, in which the soil 

 itself is removed from the site and used to produce energy. Peat 

 mining is proposed in various areas near the Hyde/Dare County line. 



