edge of this community, in a colluvial area, is found a tract of 

 about two acres in which logfern ( Dryopteris celsa ) is abundant. 

 Some of these, growing in a small opening, form robust masses 

 four feet high. A visit to the site with Dr. Lytton J. Musselman, 

 world's leading authority on this species, revealed that it was 

 the only member of its genus present. 



CT-E. BEECH SLOPES ( Fagus grandifolia ) 



This type is the dominant community on the valley wall slopes 

 which represent the transitional topography between flat uplands 

 and swamp bottom. As such, it occurs in narrow strips several 

 miles long on both sides of the natural area. Mature stands of 

 this type 70-90 years in age occur in several places, most 

 strikingly in a large tract on the north side of the mill pond 

 in the vicinity of the long, north- trending ravine, and along the 

 pond to the east of this area. 



Slightly different beech communities are found on several 

 flats in Lassiter Swamp and on some of the flat uplands to the 

 south of the pond. Stewartia malacodendron (Silky camelia) occurs 

 beneath the beech at the canoe camp on the north shore. On some 

 narrow upland ridges in this vicinity, beech is found with white 

 oak in what might be segregated as a distinct community. 



CT-F. MIXED MESOPHYTIC OAKS 



This designation includes upland communities dominated 

 primarily by white oak (Quercus alba ) , black oak (Quercus 

 velutlna) , southern red oak ( Quercus falcata ) and water oak 

 ( Quercus nigra ) . This is the least understood of the major 

 forest types of the natural area since it occurs on the uplands 

 which have been almost universally disturbed by logging or 

 agriculture. This is true of nearly the whole Coastal Plain, 



No sizable tract of upland hardwoods remains in the county. 

 Enough small patches of mature and serai stage oaks exist to 

 indicate some type of oak or oak-beech forest to be one of the 

 climax types of the uplands. There is evidence in places to 

 suggest that there may have been a beech-white oak type on 

 some of the moister uplands, and a mixed oak type in the drier 

 places. 



Fire undoubtedly played an important role, and there was 

 probably some longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ) along the well- 

 drained ridge crests at the top of the steep valley slopes. 

 Just north of the state line, above Corapeake, the last natural 

 stand of longleaf pine in Virginia was cut in 1978. This had 

 been a Pinus palustris / Quercus alba community on a sandy loam 

 soil. The same was true of several other former longleaf sites 

 in Virginia. Apparently, deep sand was not a requirement for 



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