﻿Nichols: 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  Connecticut 
  

  

  97 
  

  

  of 
  these 
  Influences 
  is 
  seen, 
  for 
  example, 
  in 
  the 
  markedly 
  xerophytic 
  

   nature 
  of 
  the 
  vegetation 
  on 
  sandy 
  beaches 
  and 
  dunes; 
  it 
  is 
  further 
  

   reflected 
  in 
  the 
  relatively 
  xerophytic 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  algal 
  vegetation 
  

   of 
  the 
  intertidal 
  region, 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  areas 
  which 
  

   are 
  continuously 
  submerged. 
  

  

  III. 
  CLASSIFICATION 
  OF 
  PLANT 
  ASSOCIATIONS 
  ALONG 
  

  

  THE 
  SEACOAST 
  

  

  Introductory. 
  — 
  In 
  a 
  general 
  way, 
  the 
  various 
  factors 
  which 
  

   determine 
  the 
  distribution 
  of 
  plant 
  associations 
  along 
  the 
  sea- 
  

   coast 
  can 
  be 
  summed 
  up 
  under 
  two 
  heads: 
  (a) 
  factors 
  associated 
  

   with 
  differences 
  in 
  physiography, 
  and 
  {h) 
  factors 
  associated 
  with 
  

   differences 
  in 
  tide 
  level. 
  The 
  physiographic 
  influences, 
  in 
  the 
  

  

  Fig. 
  r. 
  Rocky 
  shores 
  of 
  the 
  eroding 
  type; 
  East 
  Haven. 
  View, 
  taken 
  at 
  about 
  

   low 
  tide, 
  shows 
  rockweed 
  vegetation 
  in 
  lower 
  foreground. 
  

  

  main, 
  can 
  perhaps 
  best 
  be 
  grouped 
  under 
  two 
  heads: 
  erosion 
  and 
  

   deposition. 
  Areas 
  along 
  the 
  coast 
  where 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  currents 
  

   and 
  waves 
  is 
  such 
  that 
  erosion 
  predominates 
  are 
  termed 
  eroding 
  

  

  A.^... 
  ^rU^^^ 
  A^r^n^\uan 
  nredominates 
  are 
  termed 
  depositing 
  

  

  areas, 
  

   areas. 
  

  

  Along 
  an 
  Irregular 
  coastline, 
  such 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  southern 
  

   Connecticut, 
  eroding 
  and 
  depositing 
  areas 
  may 
  alternate 
  with 
  

   one 
  another 
  in 
  rapid 
  sequence, 
  erosion 
  tending 
  to 
  predominate 
  

   wherever 
  there 
  are 
  salients 
  in 
  the 
  shore-line, 
  deposition 
  wherever 
  

  

  