﻿Nichols: 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  Connecticut 
  99 
  

  

  sence 
  of 
  bluffs 
  and 
  headlands. 
  Eroding 
  bottoms, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  

   are 
  rocky, 
  stony, 
  or 
  shelly; 
  depositing 
  bottoms 
  are 
  muddy 
  or 
  

   sandy. 
  So 
  significant 
  are 
  these 
  physiographic 
  differences 
  that 
  

   in 
  the 
  detailed 
  account 
  which 
  follows 
  the 
  plant 
  associations 
  have 
  

   been 
  grouped 
  primarily 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  their 
  physiographic 
  

   relations, 
  their 
  relation 
  to 
  tide 
  levels 
  being 
  used 
  as 
  a 
  secondary 
  

  

  F 
  

  

  means 
  of 
  subdivision. 
  

  

  Plant 
  associations 
  groicped 
  in 
  relation 
  to 
  tide 
  levels. 
  — 
  With 
  

   reference 
  to 
  the 
  relation 
  of 
  the 
  substratum 
  to 
  tide 
  levels, 
  three 
  

   regions 
  may 
  be 
  distinguished: 
  the 
  littoral, 
  the 
  subUttoral, 
  and 
  the 
  

   supralittoral. 
  The 
  limits 
  of 
  these 
  regions 
  have 
  been 
  variously 
  

   described 
  by 
  different 
  writers 
  ;* 
  as 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  treatment 
  

   they 
  may 
  be 
  defined 
  as 
  follows. 
  The 
  littoral 
  region 
  comprises 
  

   that 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  shore 
  which 
  lies 
  between 
  mean 
  low 
  tide 
  level 
  and 
  

   mean 
  high 
  tide 
  level. 
  The 
  sublittoral 
  region 
  extends 
  from 
  mean 
  

   low 
  tide 
  level 
  (the 
  lower 
  limit 
  of 
  the 
  littoral) 
  downward 
  and 
  sea- 
  

   ward 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  maximum 
  depth 
  at 
  which 
  the 
  higher 
  algae 
  grow. 
  

   The 
  supralittoral 
  region 
  extends 
  from 
  mean 
  high 
  tide 
  level 
  (the 
  

   upper 
  limit 
  of 
  the 
  littoral) 
  upward 
  and 
  landward 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  

   character 
  of 
  the 
  vegetation 
  is 
  definitely 
  associated 
  with 
  the 
  

  

  proximity 
  of*the 
  sea. 
  

  

  Corresponding 
  approximately 
  with 
  these 
  regions, 
  the 
  plant 
  

  

  associations 
  of 
  the 
  seacoast 
  can 
  be 
  divided 
  into 
  three 
  groups. 
  

  

  The 
  littoral 
  region 
  is 
  characterized 
  by 
  associations 
  of 
  plants 
  which 
  

  

  are 
  adapted 
  to 
  endure 
  alternate 
  daily 
  submergence 
  by 
  tidal 
  waters 
  

  

  and 
  exposure 
  to 
  the 
  air; 
  the 
  sublittoral 
  region 
  by 
  associations 
  of 
  

  

  plants 
  which 
  are 
  adapted 
  to 
  endure 
  continuous 
  submergence; 
  

  

  and 
  the 
  supralittoral 
  region 
  by 
  associations_o£^lant^wh^^ 
  

  

  ^~"* 
  By 
  derivation. 
  the'l^i^i^Tliii^^^Ta^ 
  both 
  as 
  a 
  noun 
  and 
  as 
  an 
  adjective) 
  

   means 
  simply 
  "of 
  or 
  pertaining 
  to 
  the 
  seashore." 
  and 
  in 
  this 
  sense 
  the 
  word 
  has 
  often 
  

   been 
  used 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  indiscriminately 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  plants 
  or 
  plant 
  assocjat.ons 
  

   occurring 
  an>-where 
  along 
  the 
  seashore. 
  Technically, 
  and 
  particularly 
  m 
  ecolog.^ 
  

   literatur:. 
  this 
  term 
  has 
  come 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  somewhat 
  more 
  ^'^^^'.^^''1'^^'^ 
  

   application 
  in 
  practise 
  has 
  been 
  far 
  from 
  uniform. 
  Three 
  recen 
  -"^^e 
  ^^^^^^^^^ 
  

   have 
  used 
  it 
  in 
  as 
  many 
  different 
  ways. 
  Johnson 
  and 
  York 
  (15) 
  define 
  ^^-^^ 
  

  

  ,n 
  the 
  sense 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  present 
  P^Pf^" 
  »• 
  ^- 
  ^-' 
  1 
  Hh 
  m^ne 
  

   as 
  "the 
  zone 
  extending 
  from 
  low 
  water 
  mark 
  to 
  the 
  highest 
  pomt 
  at 
  wh 
  ch 
  marme 
  

   as 
  tne 
  zone 
  exteuuing 
  ii^ 
  embrace 
  in 
  the 
  littoral 
  all 
  areas, 
  

  

  algae 
  cease 
  to 
  grow;" 
  f 
  ^^^^ 
  .^f 
  ^7 
  ^,\^^f 
  f.^^upi^^d 
  by 
  the 
  shore 
  drift 
  in 
  tran- 
  

   both 
  below 
  and 
  above 
  low 
  tide 
  level, 
  which 
  are 
  occup 
  ^ 
  . 
  

  

  sit." 
  The 
  terms 
  sublittoral 
  and 
  supralittoral 
  hkewise 
  are 
  capable 
  o^vano- 
  mter 
  

   pretations 
  (see 
  discussions 
  by 
  Sumner, 
  Osburn 
  and 
  Cole. 
  X3. 
  B. 
  M. 
  Davis. 
  13. 
  

  

  and 
  Johnson 
  and 
  York, 
  *i5)- 
  

  

  