Eccology of the William C. Whitney Area Eccology of the William C. Whitney Area
The centerpiece of the William C. Whitney Area is Little Tupper Lake. Nearly six miles long and up to a mile wide, with twenty miles of shoreline, it is a broad avenue leading into the remote heart of the forest. Except for three private holdings, the entire lake is State-owned (see map). Ten additional waterbodies within the area provide recreational opportunities.
The entire area lies in the ecological transition zone between the temperate deciduous forest and the boreal forest to the north. The main forest types are nothern hardwoods (mostly beech, red maple, and yellow birch), mixed woods (hardwoods with hemlock, red spruce, and scattered white pine) and spruce flats. Logging activity prior to State ownership has left a young, open forest over much of the area. A narrow band of mature trees was preserved along shorelines to protect the view from the water and to reduce erosion into ponds and streams.
