The term Pocosin is an Algonquian Indian word meaning "swamp on a hill." Though there are no obvious hills, the land is slightly elevated compared to the surrounding landscape. Pocosin wetlands are extremely flat and their natural drainage is poor. The top layer of soil is comprised mostly of organic material, more commonly referred to as peat, varying in thickness throughout the refuge. This organic matter is made up of leaves, sticks and other organic debris that was once submerged in water and decomposed slowly. Once lost, it takes over 100 years to create one inch of peat soil. The pocosin habitat is unique in that it is a fire tolerant shrub/scrub complex with a pond pine over story growing on organic soils with depths up to 12 feet. A large portion of the land that is now refuge had been ditched and drained for farming and mining of the peat soils by previous owners.