ARKAS KKCKIVINa ACCUMULATIONS (»K SAND. If) 



\\\h'\\ the forest condition is reached the cycle is not complete, for the 

 presence of the ultimate climax forest species is i)ossil)le only after the 

 continued existence of other species of trees has i,n-adually iciulered 

 the soil, moisture, and prottiction sulliciently favoralde for the devel- 

 opment of the climax type. The ultimate forested condition is the 

 sanio whether the ori«^inal area he a salt marsh or a shifting- dune, and 

 the sand areas under consideration show several types of reclamation 

 which diller in the initial stages. 



AllKAS K1':CKIVIN(} (JUADUAI. A( (l Ml I.ATIONS OF SAM». 



These areas arc conlined i)rincii)ally to the depositing heachrs and 

 are of less relative importance at the present time than formerly. 

 The strand plants form a zone just al>ove the action of the tides. The 

 sea vockiit {C'ah'/d fdcntula), beach \)V'a {L<(tln/ni.s //////•////// //.s), and 

 K'Ovk\QhnY{Xanth}n)ii i'ehlnatniit)\\vAy he mentioned as typical species. 

 These strand plants are ertective in retarding the sand which is blown 

 inland from the l>each. They also act as pioneers to the succeeding 

 vet'-etiition which dominates when the original area has become built 

 up sufficiently far l)eyond the action of the tides to permit the devel- 

 opment of another strand or beach formation below the one just indi- 

 cated. Beach grass {Amuiojj/iiki aranarla) is the dominant species, 

 and extends itself to well within the limit of the wave action during 

 the winter storms (PI. II, tigs. 1 and 2). This is associated with sea- 

 side golden-rod {Solldtujo ae/iij/crvireJiJ^) and sand wormwood {Arte- 

 7/>/'.'<i(l n/i/(I(ffii). 



The bayberry {Jft/rica carolinenxi.s)^ wild rose (Iiosn, hiridd.^)^ and 

 beach plum {Prmms marit'inm) may be taken as ty\)ical of the shrub 

 vegetation which encroaches upon these areas from the wooded 

 stretches lying inland. These, by their presence, increase the humus 

 content of the soil and furnish the necessar}' protection for the devel- 

 opment of the seedlings of the pitch \\\\\i,{P'inuH rhjida) \\\\\v\\ soon 

 extend themselves over the partially reclaimed areas. Later the oaks 

 {Quercm rubra and Q. velutlna) ))ecome associated with the pine, and 

 in especially favored situations the l)eech {Faynx anierlcana) ultimately 

 dominates. The few^ areas which have reached this last stage present 

 a somewhat unusual condition. As the lieech represents the extreme 

 mesophytic type of forest growth in the northeastern United States 

 and normally grows onl}^ in the presence of the most favorable 

 edaphic conditions of soil, moisture, and exposure, the development 

 of the beech formation upon the sand dune is of rare occurrence. The 

 great bulk of the present forest covering consists of the pine and oak, 

 although the white birch {Betida 2^<^>P^diferc()^ white oak {QueremaXhci)^ 

 and red maple {Acer ruhnun) arc to be observed in the lower areas, 



