Blackwater rivers are common in the Carolina Flatwoods Ecoregion.

This is a picture taken in the Sandhills Ecoregion.  Can you see the white sand on the forest floor?

Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Brownwater and blackwater rivers show how different geology can affect ecosystems.

What is an Ecoregion?

 “Ecoregion” is a word scientists use for the way the land influences the ecology of a region.  An ecoregion is an area where the climate, geology, soils, water, and plant life are all the same.  By studying ecoregions, you can learn a lot about how plants grow in their environment.  There are many ecoregions in the Cape Fear River Basin.  You can see the different ecoregions on the map to the left.

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