﻿Nichols: 
  The 
  vegetation 
  of 
  Connecticut 
  521 
  

  

  progressively 
  increases 
  in 
  permanence 
  and 
  complexity. 
  As 
  the 
  

   lower 
  beach 
  becomes 
  built 
  outward 
  and 
  upward, 
  the 
  gradually 
  

   rising 
  surface 
  of 
  sand 
  becomes 
  colonized 
  first 
  by 
  the 
  annual 
  

   plants 
  of 
  the 
  middle 
  beach, 
  which 
  later 
  are 
  joined 
  by 
  the 
  herbaceous 
  

   perennials 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  beach. 
  With 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  

   dune 
  beach 
  the 
  plant 
  population 
  is 
  still 
  further 
  augmented, 
  and, 
  

   under 
  favorable 
  conditions, 
  shrubs 
  may 
  supplant 
  herbs 
  as 
  the 
  

   predominant 
  growth 
  forms. 
  Only 
  occasionally, 
  in 
  Connecticut, 
  

  

  r 
  

  

  however, 
  are 
  trees 
  met 
  with 
  on 
  the 
  dune 
  beach, 
  and 
  forests 
  never. 
  

   In 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  dune 
  beach 
  the 
  vegetation 
  itself 
  plays 
  

   an 
  important 
  role. 
  The 
  birth 
  of 
  a 
  dune 
  may 
  be 
  caused 
  by 
  the 
  

   presence 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  beach 
  of 
  any 
  obstruction, 
  such 
  as 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  

   driftwood, 
  which 
  interferes 
  with 
  the 
  sand-laden 
  winds 
  sweeping 
  

   landward, 
  causing 
  them 
  to 
  drop 
  part 
  of 
  their 
  burden. 
  Thus, 
  it 
  

   commonly 
  happens 
  that 
  the 
  coarse, 
  stiff, 
  upright 
  clumps 
  of 
  the 
  

   sand 
  reed, 
  growing 
  in 
  local 
  profusion 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  beach 
  and 
  

   acting 
  in 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  a 
  wind-break, 
  bring 
  about 
  a 
  local 
  accumu- 
  

   lation 
  of 
  sand 
  and 
  thereby 
  inaugurate 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  a 
  dune. 
  

  

  r 
  

  

  But 
  not 
  only 
  this. 
  As 
  the 
  sandy 
  surface 
  is 
  built 
  upward, 
  the 
  

   grass, 
  spreading 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  subterranean 
  rhizomes, 
  keeps 
  pace 
  

   with 
  it, 
  contributing 
  further 
  to 
  the 
  permanceny 
  of 
  the 
  dune 
  by 
  

   the 
  action 
  of 
  its 
  copious 
  slender 
  roots, 
  which 
  bind 
  the 
  loose 
  sand 
  

   together, 
  thereby 
  fixing 
  it 
  in 
  place. 
  

  

  C. 
  Muddy 
  bottoms 
  and 
  shores, 
  and 
  coastal 
  swamps 
  

  

  Introdiictory.—Amor\z 
  the 
  outstanding 
  physiographic 
  features 
  

   of 
  the 
  Connecticut 
  coast 
  is 
  the 
  extensive 
  development 
  of 
  coastal 
  

   swamps, 
  typically 
  represented 
  by 
  the 
  salt 
  marshes 
  (Figs. 
  4, 
  5, 
  6, 
  

   9) 
  • 
  " 
  Because 
  of 
  their 
  lack 
  of 
  relief 
  and 
  uniformity 
  of 
  appearance 
  ", 
  

   swamps 
  of 
  this 
  description, 
  in 
  the 
  words 
  of 
  C. 
  A. 
  Davis 
  ('10), 
  

   may 
  appear 
  "monotonous 
  and 
  uninteresting 
  in 
  the 
  extreme"; 
  

   yet 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  to 
  the 
  most 
  superficial 
  obscrv^er 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  entirely 
  

   devoid 
  of 
  Interest. 
  Even 
  as 
  scenic 
  features 
  the 
  monotony 
  of 
  the 
  

   salt 
  marshes 
  is 
  almost 
  wholly 
  one 
  of 
  topography, 
  while 
  from 
  a 
  

   scientific 
  point 
  of 
  view 
  these 
  swamps, 
  with 
  their 
  associated 
  

   muddy 
  flats 
  and 
  bottoms, 
  present 
  a 
  diversity 
  of 
  fascinating 
  

   problems, 
  both 
  biological 
  and 
  geological. 
  According 
  to 
  figures 
  

   given 
  by 
  Shaler 
  ('85) 
  there 
  are 
  fully 
  20,000 
  acres 
  of 
  coastal 
  swamp 
  

   in 
  Connecticut. 
  

  

  