tion. The Oak-Chestnut Forest region is split into a Piedmont section 

 and a Ridge and Valley section, while the Allegheny Mountain section 

 comprises the Mixed Mesophytic Forest region in Maryland. 



In general, mammal distribution in Maryland correlates well with 

 these natural areas or sections, and reference is made to them through- 

 out the text. An exception is that of the Upper Chesapeake Bay section 

 (comprising the northern portion of the Eastern Shore, and the Coas- 

 tal Plain of Baltimore and Harford counties) which seems to be too 

 weakly differentiated as a biotic area from adjacent sections to have 

 any relevance with regard to mammal distribution. This section has 

 been deleted herein, the northern portion of the Eastern Shore being 

 assigned to the Eastern Shore section, and the Coastal Plain of Balti- 

 more and Harford counties being treated as part of the Western Shore 

 section. 



The following is primarily a condensation of Stewart and Robbins' 

 description of Maryland's biotic sections. 



Eastern Shore Section 



The upland forests of this section are composed chiefly of loblolly 

 pine {Pinus taeda) stands and oak-hickory forests or a mixture of the 

 two. Along the tidal marshes, loblolly pine is found generally without 

 deciduous associates. The Eastern Shore section is poorly drained and 



