Flora of the Allegany State Park Region 17 



others of like habitat, plants which were rather limited in 

 abundance in the primeval forest, which have now, as a 

 result of the tremendous changes brought about by lum- 

 bering, inherited a dominant position in the present flora. 

 The question naturally arises as to the extent to which 

 the region may recover its former character of vegetation. 

 Extensive fires within the park are probably now to be 

 regarded as a thing of the past, barring unforeseen dis- 

 aster. The second growth is rapidly becoming denser 

 and larger, shutting out more and more the sunlight from 

 the forest floor. Rainfall is abundant and the soils will 

 increase in permanent moisture and the humus will regain 

 its depth and fertility as this growth progresses. With 

 decreased leaching of the soil on the slopes, which will 

 result from an increase in the density of the forest cover, 

 the soils will also regain some of their former calcareous 

 character derived from the shells in the Chemung shales. 

 Lumbering if continued will be under scientific manage- 

 ment. In many places there is evidence that the slopes 

 are already recovering their former character to an 

 astonishing extent, when we consider what has happened 

 here. Before the end of the present century it is prob- 

 able that the forests of the park will rival in density and 

 beauty the primeval growth, although it may take longer 

 for the pine to return on the lower slopes. A century, 

 however, is but a short time in the history of nature. 



PRESERVATION OF NATURAL AREAS 

 There are certain portions of the park region which 

 because of their location, plant life and the cover they 

 afford to bird and animal life should be maintained as 

 preserves. This applies particularly to the "Big Basin" 

 region including all of the headwaters of the Stoddard 

 brook south to the Bay State road. In this semiprimeval 

 timber the natural vegetation of the region has made its 



