tree ( Baccharis halimifolia) , small red maple ( Acer rub rum) 

 transgressives and small pond pine. The shrubs assume in- 

 creasing dominance and gradually increase in height as one 

 moves inland. The shrub zone grades gradually into a pond 

 pine-red maple low tree zone which eventually becomes pond 

 pine pocosin. The shrub marsh zone is flooded on rare oc- 

 casions by storm tides. 



The soils of this vegetation type have been mapped as 

 the Capers association: very poorly drained mineral soils 

 which are mildly alkaline due to the salt influence from 

 the adjacent brackish sound. 



WILDLIFE AND AVIAN DIVERSITY 



The Gull Rock Game Lands natural area has superlative 

 values for a diversity of game and non-game species. The 

 natural area, by virtue of its size, remoteness, and habitat 

 diversity, supports one of the last viable black bear popu- 

 lations in the coastal plain. The natural area, along with 

 the adjacent wilderness areas of Swanguarter National Wild- 

 life Refuge and more disturbed portions of the Gull Rock 

 Game Lands, encompasses a total of about 20,000 acres. 

 Much of this acreage is either formally designated wilder- 

 ness (8800 acres of the Swanguarter National Wildlife Refuge) 

 or de facto wilderness (much of the Gull Rock Game Lands) . 

 Its large size and ecological diversity provide crutial 

 nesting, denning, and feeding habitat for many wildlife 

 species. 



Sixty-three species of breeding birds are known to 

 occur and at least 8 species of mammals are present. Ac- 

 cording to Rod McClanahan (WRC District biologist) the area 

 supports "very large" black bear and "large" white-tailed 

 deer populations. Our observations of numerous track and 

 scat sign of both black bear and white-tailed deer support 

 McClanahan' s information. Bear sign are particularly pre- 

 valent in the low pocosin area. Bobcat are also reported 

 to be present in undetermined numbers. 



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