330 ECOLOGY OF SALT MARSHES 



MARSHES OF NEW ENGLAND 



A study of one of the New England marshes near Boston by the 

 present author has revealed the existence of the following algal 

 communities which should be compared with those in Table XVL 

 It will be seen that there is considerable similarity in spite of the 

 great distance separating the areas : 



(i) The General Chlorophyceae association is divided into two 

 components. 



(a) A Rhizocloniutn community occurs widespread in nearly all 

 the phaneroganic communities. 



{h) A Cladophora-Enteromorpha community is present in very 

 wet areas and is probably equivalent to the Muddy Chlorophyceae 

 recorded from Norfolk. 



(2) There is a Vaucheria community on the older marshes which 

 is dominated by V. sphaerospora with V. Thuretii locally dominant 

 along the banks of small creeks. 



(3) A General Cyanophyceae association is spread over all the 

 marshes and is equivalent to the Cyanophycean element in the 

 Sandy Chlorophyceae found on the English marshes. 



(4) Vernal Ulothrix community. 



(5) The Gelatinous Cyanophyceae community is associated with 

 the Juncetum Gerardii. 



(6) A Rivularia-Phaeococcus society is also associated with 

 Juncus Gerardii. 



(7) Enteromorpha minima community. This is abundant in 

 spring and early summer along the edges of ditches and on old 

 plants of Spartina spp. 



(8) The autumn Cyanophyceae community is present on the 

 higher marshes and also in the salt pans. 



(9) The Limicolous Fucaceae community is dominated by one 

 of the following, Ascophyllum nodosum ecad Mackaii, Fucus 

 vesiculosus ecad voluhilis or F. spiralis ecad lutarius. 



(10) Pan Flora. 



An analysis of the tidal factors operating on the salt marshes of 

 Norfolk (England), Lynn (Mass.) and Cold Spring Harbor (L. L), 

 has suggested that for some of the species common to the two areas 

 the controlling factors must be the same. 



