68 



BIOLOGICAL REPORT 31 



mining of peat from cedar swamps and, with the 

 expansion of the cranberry industry in the 1 800's, 

 led to the near loss of this ecosystem from the wa- 

 tershed. 



In the elevated areas around Buzzards Bay, the 

 highly permeable soils of the region provide an ideal 

 site for the growth of hardy species of oak {Quercus 

 spp.), pitch pine (Pinus rigida), and white pine 

 (Pimis strobus), the dominant trees of the region's 

 forested land. Although somewhat small and 

 "scrubby" (i.e., the name '"scrub oak") by inland 

 standards, these hardy trees reflect the low nutrient 

 environment under which these forests have devel- 

 oped. Even with the encroachment of human de- 

 velopment over time, these forests still support large 

 numbers of wildlife, including deer (Odocoileus 

 virginianus) and even coyote {Cartas latrans). 

 These woodlands have played an important role in 

 the history of the region, yet the species we see 

 today are not necessarily those viewed and utilized 

 by the early settlers. 



Significant changes have occurred in the bay's 

 surrounding upland over the past several hundred 

 years. In what is now primarily pitch pine-domi- 

 nated forest, the landscape once supported signifi- 

 cant stands of old growth forests of white pine, oak, 

 walnut (Juglans spp.), beech (Fagus grandifolia), 

 and holly (Ilex opaca). The extensive acreage of 

 these original forests was frequently identified in the 

 logs of early explorers and settlers (White 1 870; 

 O'Brien 1 990). Although living near the sea, the 

 early European settlers were predominantly 

 farmers. Early on, they attempted to clear the for- 

 ests for agricultural land with little understanding, 

 and therefore regard, for the long-term impact on 

 these virgin forests. These settlers were not the first, 

 however, to impact the woodlands. Evidence in 

 archeological records indicates that Native Ameri- 

 cans typically practiced "slash and bum" techniques 

 to clear the forests for the production of corn. 

 Large-scale deforestation, however, occurred pri- 

 marily from the late 1600's through the 1800's. 

 Although many of the settlers shifted from farming 

 to fishing, the cutting of the forests did not diminish. 

 With fishing and whaling came shipbuilding, an im- 

 portant mainstay of the economy that increased the 



demand for wood for construction. There was also 

 an associated demand for firewood to fuel the 

 evaporation of seawater for preparation of salt and 

 to boil whale blubber. About 1 .5 cords of wood 

 were required for producing only one bushel of salt 

 (O'Brien 1 990); at its peak, production of salt from 

 Cape Cod was estimated at more than 1/2 million 

 bushels per year (Fawsett 1 990). In fact, the Sand- 

 wich Glassworks was established in the town of 

 Sandwich not for its abundant sand (which was sup- 

 posedly too impure) but for the extensive pitch pine 

 and red oak ( Quercus rubra) forests, which were 

 cleared starting around 1 825 and provided fuel for 

 the glass furnaces for over 60 years, leaving the 

 formerly well forested Sandwich hills basically bare. 

 The combined result of these various demands 

 for wood was a general deforestation of the old 

 growth forests all around Buzzards Bay. with only a 

 few virgin areas now remaining; a notable example 

 is a grove of white pine forest located in Beebe 

 Woods, a forest preserve located just west of 

 Falmouth center. After cutting, much of the wood- 

 land was left to natural succession. The relatively 

 poor soil conditions that evolved after the destruc- 

 tion of the forests have led to reforestation by har- 

 dier species, notably the pitch pine, which grows 

 widely in the region in those areas buffeted by wind 

 and sea as well as on nutrient poor, sandy, barren 

 soils. The survivability of this species also encour- 

 aged its widespread planting in the late 1 800's so 

 that with species of oak (scrub (Quercus ilicifolia), 

 red, post (Quercus stellatd), etc.), eastern red ce- 

 dar (Juniperus virginiana, also known as juniper), 

 and red maple, significant reforestation has occurred. 



4.4. Unique and 

 Threatened Environments 



4.4.1. Anadromous Fish Runs 



These fish runs are an important component of 

 the fisheries of Buzzards Bay. Streams linking ma- 

 rine and freshwater bodies provide runs for several 

 species offish that grow to maturity in the ocean 



