﻿110 
  Nichols: 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  Connecticut 
  

  

  said 
  regarding 
  its 
  vegetation, 
  since 
  it 
  is 
  essentially 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  

   of 
  rocky 
  bottoms. 
  As 
  a 
  rule, 
  the 
  boulders 
  are 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  scat- 
  

   tered, 
  and 
  between 
  them, 
  in 
  areas 
  protected 
  from 
  erosion 
  by 
  the 
  

   boulders 
  themselves, 
  the 
  bottom 
  is 
  sandy. 
  The 
  vegetation 
  in 
  

   such 
  places 
  resembles 
  that 
  of 
  depositing 
  sandy 
  bottoms, 
  to 
  be 
  

   described 
  in 
  a 
  later 
  paper. 
  

  

  2. 
  Associations 
  of 
  the 
  littoral 
  and 
  supralittoral 
  regions 
  

  

  Eroding 
  shores 
  of 
  glacial 
  drift 
  compared 
  with 
  rocky 
  shores 
  as 
  an 
  

   environment 
  for 
  plants, 
  — 
  Even 
  along 
  a 
  rock-bound 
  coast 
  the 
  in- 
  

   fluence 
  of 
  waves 
  and 
  ice 
  on 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  seaside 
  vegetation 
  is 
  

   very 
  apparent; 
  but, 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  the 
  conditions 
  along 
  shores 
  

   of 
  glacial 
  drift, 
  their 
  influence 
  there 
  is 
  relatively 
  inconsequential. 
  

   Along 
  rock 
  shores 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  these 
  physiographic 
  agencies 
  

   on 
  plants 
  is 
  direct, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  confined 
  to 
  areas 
  within 
  actual 
  reach 
  

   of 
  the 
  waves. 
  Along 
  shores 
  of 
  glacial 
  drift 
  their 
  indirect 
  influence 
  

   may 
  be 
  even 
  more 
  important; 
  for 
  here 
  the 
  undermining 
  and 
  ab- 
  

   rading 
  effect 
  of 
  the 
  waves, 
  dashing 
  against 
  the 
  soft, 
  uncompacted 
  

   rock, 
  not 
  only 
  influences 
  the 
  vegetation 
  within 
  reach 
  but 
  that 
  

   at 
  higher 
  levels 
  as 
  well. 
  The 
  contrast 
  is 
  quite 
  analogous 
  to 
  that 
  

   pointed 
  out 
  elsewhere 
  in 
  comparing 
  rock 
  ravines 
  with 
  ravines 
  in 
  

   glacial 
  drift.* 
  

  

  Associations 
  of 
  the 
  stipralittoraL 
  — 
  ^Wherever 
  deposits 
  of 
  glacial 
  

   -drift 
  are 
  exposed 
  to 
  wave 
  action, 
  the 
  natural 
  result 
  of 
  the 
  washing 
  

   away 
  of 
  the 
  soil 
  on 
  vegetation 
  is 
  the 
  partial 
  or 
  complete 
  destruc- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  whatever 
  plant 
  associations 
  may 
  happen 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  

   present. 
  Associations 
  along 
  the 
  entire 
  face 
  of 
  an 
  eroding 
  bluff 
  

  

  thus 
  become 
  completely 
  annihilated, 
  so 
  that, 
  in 
  extreme 
  

  

  may 
  

  

  cases, 
  the 
  bluff 
  will 
  be 
  virtually 
  barren 
  of 
  vegetation 
  of 
  any 
  de- 
  

   scription. 
  But, 
  as 
  a 
  rule, 
  plants 
  are 
  not 
  entirely 
  absent 
  here. 
  

   For 
  the 
  forces 
  of 
  erosion 
  are 
  most 
  active 
  during 
  winter 
  and 
  early 
  

   spring, 
  which 
  is 
  a 
  period 
  of 
  inactivity 
  for 
  plants; 
  during 
  the 
  grow- 
  

   ing 
  season 
  there 
  is 
  practical 
  freedom 
  from 
  erosion. 
  In 
  conse- 
  

  

  may 
  

  

  population 
  of 
  plants, 
  mostly 
  annual 
  species 
  which 
  are 
  able 
  to 
  

   mature 
  between 
  successive 
  periods 
  of 
  erosion; 
  and, 
  on 
  bluffs 
  

  

  *See 
  Nichols, 
  'i6, 
  p. 
  237, 
  etc. 
  Also, 
  in 
  this 
  connection, 
  compare 
  Covvles's 
  

   description 
  of 
  the 
  conditions 
  on 
  eroding 
  clay 
  bluffs 
  along 
  Lake 
  Michigan 
  (Cowles, 
  

   '01, 
  p. 
  50 
  et 
  seq.). 
  

  

  