and thus nutrient influx. Otte (pers. comm. , 1982), without 

 proposing an answer to this elusive problem, has noted an 

 increased mineral content in the extreme upper layer of 

 peats he has sampled which may be subject to flooding; and 

 he attributes this to such human activity. At the same 

 time the direct effect of logging and clearing for agri- 

 culture has been to reduce the extent of the swamp forest 

 community throughout the peatlands of North Carolina (Ashe 

 and Pinchot, 1897; Kologiski, 1977; Christensen, e_t al . 

 1981; Daniel, 1981) . 



OTHER FEATURES 



A geomorphological feature of interest is Swan Creek 

 Lake (400 acres; see map). This blackwater lake represents 

 a type which is characteristic of small tributaries to the 

 Alligator River in Hyde and Dare Counties. These small 

 lakes are irregular in shape but often elongate on a north- 

 south axis, and usually appear to have been formed by local 

 widening along pre-existing stream systems. Long reaches 

 of the original narrow channel are often present upstream 

 and downstream from a given lake , as is the case with Swan 

 Creek Lake. These lakes are of uncertain origin, but may 

 be deep peat burns which have been shaped by wave and cur- 

 rent action. 



WILDLIFE AND AVIAN DIVERSITY 



Wildlife values through the Alligator River natural 

 area are superior. Black bear sign (tracks, scat, clawed 

 trees) were common along all roads throughout the site. 

 Although no attempt is made here to interpret the highly 

 visible sign of this large and mobile animal in terms of 

 relative or absolute abundance, the species is evidently 

 using all habitats in the natural area. White-tailed deer 

 are common at least in association with roads. Raccoon, 

 marsh rabbit and gray squirrel are fairly common. 



Breeding bird diversity is exceptional in the natural 

 area, due both to the diverse habitats present and to the 

 structural diversity of the swamp forests in particular. 

 The wood warblers are especially well-represented, with 10 

 species breeding in the swamp forest communities proper, 

 where certain species are exceptionally abundant (see Table 

 1). 



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