﻿Nichols: 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  Connecticut 
  

  

  515 
  

  

  ■Edaphic 
  conditions 
  

  

  Paucity 
  of 
  vegetation 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  beach 
  — 
  

   discourage 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  vegetation 
  of 
  any 
  description 
  on 
  

   the 
  lower 
  beach 
  along 
  a 
  sandy 
  shore. 
  Halophytic 
  seed 
  plants, 
  

   such 
  as 
  characterize 
  the 
  littoral 
  region 
  along 
  muddy 
  shores, 
  are 
  

   unable 
  to 
  maintain 
  a 
  foothold 
  in 
  the 
  shifting 
  sand, 
  constantly 
  

   being 
  worked 
  over 
  by 
  the 
  waves, 
  and 
  the 
  algae 
  likewise 
  find 
  

   conditions 
  unfavorable. 
  With 
  local 
  exceptions, 
  the 
  lower 
  beach 
  

   is 
  virtually 
  destitute 
  of 
  visible 
  plant 
  life. 
  

  

  \ 
  

  

  Fig. 
  I. 
  Sandy 
  beach 
  along 
  relatively 
  exposed 
  seaward 
  side 
  of 
  spit 
  at 
  Old 
  Lyme; 
  

   low 
  tide. 
  Upper 
  limit 
  of 
  lower 
  beach 
  marked 
  by 
  line 
  of 
  tidal 
  trash; 
  middle 
  beach 
  

   here 
  supporting 
  very 
  scanty 
  plant 
  population; 
  dune 
  beach 
  (above) 
  covered 
  with 
  

   Ammophila, 
  etc. 
  

  

  i 
  

  

  — 
  The 
  lower 
  beach 
  is 
  usually 
  

  

  described 
  as 
  extending 
  upward 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  the 
  highest 
  point 
  reached 
  

   by 
  the 
  waves 
  of 
  summer 
  storms, 
  and 
  the 
  middle 
  beach 
  as 
  reaching 
  

   from 
  here 
  to 
  the 
  upper 
  limit 
  of 
  the 
  winter 
  storm 
  waves. 
  The 
  

   actual 
  position 
  of 
  these 
  boundaries, 
  of 
  course, 
  changes 
  more 
  or 
  

   less 
  from 
  year 
  to 
  year. 
  Because 
  of 
  the 
  usual 
  abundance 
  of 
  

   driftwood 
  and 
  other 
  riff-raff, 
  the 
  middle 
  beach 
  is 
  termed 
  the 
  

  

  "drift 
  beach" 
  by 
  J 
  

  

  ('09). 
  During 
  summer 
  this 
  area 
  

  

  