THE VEGETATION OF SHACKLEFORD BANK 19 



Eor these two practical reasons, then, it seems desirable to protect 

 the existing vegetation of Shackleford from further destruction by 

 drifting sand. A third reason is not less imijortant. From Cape Henry 

 southward along our entire Atlantic Coast similar conditions are met 

 with. What are now forest lands, some quite valuable, are being con- 

 v-erted into sandy wastes. The methods which have proved successful 

 in other parts of the world^ in controlling shifting sands and converting 

 them into forest lands have never been tried in this section to any extent, 

 and it would be of practical and scientific value to conduct experiments 

 along this line on Shackleford Bank. The area to be protected is rather 

 small, so the cost of the experiments would not' be very great. 



The first step in such reclamation and conservation work would be 

 the production of a barrier dune running along the sea beach similar 

 to that employed on the Kurische JSTehrung in Germany and on the 

 southwestern coast of France. The first step in the formation of such 

 a dune would be to form a long ridge of sand, 10-12 feet high, by means 

 of a brush fence. This should consist of two rows of rough stakes or 

 untrinnned branches, driven firmly into the sand and projecting two 

 or more feet above the surface. Such a fence should be set 100 feet 

 from the sea. It would cause the drifting sand to accumulate in a long 

 ridge. "When the ridge becomes 10 or 12 feet high, sea oats (JJniola pan- 

 iculata) should be set out after the. manner used in other countries in 

 transplanting the sea marram {Ammophila arenaria). With some at- 

 tention a barrier dune would be thus formed similar to that now pro- 

 tecting the Hoop Pole woods on the neighboring Bogue Bank. 



After the barrier dune is formed, the region back of it, now a sandy 

 plateau, should be planted in loblolly pine {Pinus taeda). The work 

 of reclamation would then be complete, and occasional attention to the 

 barrier dune, with the purpose of repairing accidental breaks due to 

 storms, and preventing blow-outs, would make it permanent. 



If the barrier dune is once formed, the work of reclaiming the sandy 

 plateau would be greatly aided by various native plants. Of these the 

 most important are Spartina juncea, Fimbristylis casianea, Physalis 

 viscosa, and Paspalum distichum. Ilex vomitoria, which seeds vei'y 

 freely, would aid materially in providing a windbreak for the young 

 pines. All the plants mentioned are valuable sand binders, since thej' 

 have long branching roots or rhizomes which tend to hold the sand. 

 Occasional clumps of Salsola Kali, Cenchrus trihuloides, Oenothera hu- 

 mifusa, Euphorbia polygonifolia, and Solidago sempervirens would also 

 occur on such a formation, but would be of less importance because their 

 roots strike vertically, rather than horizontally, into the sand. 



iHitchoock, A. S., Methods used for controlling and reclaiming sand dunes: Bull. 57, Bureau 

 of Plant Industry. 



