﻿100 
  • 
  Nichols: 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  Connecticut 
  

  

  adapted 
  to 
  endure 
  continuous 
  exposure 
  to 
  the 
  air. 
  The 
  charac- 
  

   teristic 
  plants 
  of 
  the 
  suprahttoral 
  region 
  are 
  terrestrial 
  seed 
  

   plants; 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  sublittoral 
  are 
  marine 
  algae, 
  together 
  with 
  a 
  

   few 
  aquatic 
  seed 
  plants; 
  while 
  the 
  plants 
  of 
  the 
  littoral 
  include 
  

   both 
  seed 
  plants 
  of 
  terrestrial 
  derivation 
  and 
  algae 
  of 
  marine 
  

   derivation. 
  But 
  while, 
  broadly 
  speaking, 
  these 
  three 
  groups 
  of 
  

   plant 
  associations 
  are 
  very 
  distinct 
  from 
  one 
  another, 
  it 
  is 
  rarely 
  

   possible 
  to 
  draw 
  sharp 
  lines 
  of 
  demarcation 
  between 
  them. 
  The 
  

   prmcipal 
  reason 
  for 
  this 
  is 
  obvious, 
  namely, 
  the 
  recurrent 
  fluctua- 
  

   tions 
  in 
  the 
  height 
  of 
  the 
  tides. 
  Thus, 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  levels 
  of 
  the 
  

   sublittoral 
  region 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  area 
  which 
  ordinarily 
  is 
  submerged 
  

   at 
  low 
  tide, 
  but 
  which 
  is 
  uncovered 
  by 
  the 
  semi-monthly 
  spring 
  

   low 
  tides; 
  and 
  the 
  vegetation 
  here 
  naturally 
  includes 
  elements 
  

   which 
  are 
  more 
  characteristic 
  of 
  the 
  littoral 
  region 
  above 
  than 
  of 
  

   the 
  sublittoral. 
  Similarly, 
  in 
  the 
  lower 
  levels 
  of 
  the 
  suprahttoral 
  

   region 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  area, 
  ordinarily 
  exposed, 
  but 
  flooded 
  by 
  the 
  

   spring 
  tides, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  vegetation 
  may 
  differ 
  quite 
  markedly 
  

   from 
  that 
  of 
  areas 
  which 
  are 
  never 
  submerged. 
  The 
  equinoctial 
  

   tides, 
  storm 
  tides, 
  and 
  wave-dashed 
  spray 
  likewise 
  may 
  exert 
  a 
  

   modifying 
  effect 
  on 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  associations 
  in 
  the 
  

   suprahttoral. 
  . 
  • 
  

  

  mi 
  

  

  ciations 
  of 
  the 
  seacoast 
  primarily 
  with 
  reference 
  to 
  tide 
  levels, 
  

   treating 
  their 
  physiographic 
  relations 
  as 
  of 
  secondary 
  importance. 
  

   Such 
  a 
  grouping, 
  however, 
  would 
  not 
  be 
  in 
  harmony 
  with 
  the 
  

   larger 
  physiographic 
  scheme 
  of 
  classification 
  which 
  embraces, 
  not 
  

   alone 
  the 
  associations 
  of 
  the 
  seacoast, 
  but 
  all 
  other 
  types 
  of 
  vegeta- 
  

   tion 
  in 
  Connecticut 
  as 
  well.* 
  

  

  IV. 
  THE 
  VEGETATION 
  OF 
  ERODING 
  AREAS 
  AND 
  ITS 
  

  

  ECOLOGICAL 
  RELATIONS 
  

  

  t 
  

  

  I. 
  Seaweed 
  associations 
  of 
  the 
  sublittoral 
  region 
  

  

  Introductory.— 
  The 
  sublittoral 
  region 
  can 
  be 
  divided 
  into 
  two 
  

  

  fairly 
  well-defined 
  "sub-regions": 
  

  

  PP' 
  

  

  * 
  This 
  is 
  essentially 
  the 
  scheme 
  used 
  by 
  Transeau 
  C13) 
  and 
  by 
  Johnson 
  and 
  York 
  

  

  ds). 
  

  

  t 
  With 
  reference 
  to 
  the 
  physical 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  acted 
  upon 
  by 
  the 
  waves, 
  

   two 
  general 
  types 
  of 
  eroding 
  shore 
  can 
  be 
  distinguished 
  along 
  the 
  Connecticut 
  coast: 
  

  

  