formation. The thicket formation was dominated by I. vomitoria, with 

 J. opaca, J. virginiana, M. cenifera, and others. The thicket woodland 

 was characterized by P. borbonia, Osmanthus amevicanus (devilwood), 

 Q. nigra, P. taeda, and J. vivginiana. Shrubs included: I. vorrrltovia, 

 M. aerifeva, C. amerioana, I. glabra, and Sabal glabra (5. minor?) o 



Johnson (1900) described the Bogue Bank arborescent zone as located 

 about 100 yards behind an advancing dune. Q. nigra, with I. opaca. 

 Moms rubra (red mulberry), Persea aarolinensis (?), C. coj-oliniana , 

 J. virginiana, and P. taeda were reported by himo Myrioa gale (?), 

 J. glabra, and I. oassine' (I. vomitoria) , were noted as important 

 shrubs with the latter being most important. Apparently this area was 

 subsequently logged, or otherwise drastically altered as Burk (1962) 

 found 58 percent of the trees to be P. taeda, 15 percent Q. falaata, 

 and 12 percent Q. virginiana c The previously important water oak was 

 no longer present and the pines increased to major importance. 



6, Plant Sm^cccsion and Climax . 



Wells (1928), the only investigator to describe the plant 

 successional pattern on the Outer Banks, suggested the following 

 pattern for the xeric dune community: Salsola (upper beach) dune 

 formation, Uniola-Iva dune recession, Oenothera-Panioian soil improvement, 

 and Querous-Myrioa. He characterized this habitat as having a short 

 hydroperiod, little humus, strong winds, and little shade. His pattern 

 for the xeric maritime forest was: Ilex-vomitoria-Juniperus-Myrioa, 

 Q. virginiana, and oak-hickory associeso The habitat was described as 

 having a very short hydroperiod, perennial winds, and older landward- 

 lying dunes o 



Wells (1938) reported an extensive forest of live oaks on Smith 

 Island, previously recorded in 1805. He concluded that live oak {Q. 

 virginiana] was the dominant tree of the climax maritime forest, citing 

 as the reason the natural elimination of competitive hardwoods which 

 are not as tolerant of salt spray. He called this community a Salt 

 Spray Climax. Wells felt succession would be: U^ paniaulata, M, 

 cerifera, I. vomitoria, J. virginiana, and Q. virginiana, Bordeau and 

 Costing (1959) concluded that the normal components of the oak-hickory 

 association are excluded by their intolerance to salt, thus only live 

 oak will dominate. This supports Wells' earlier conclusions. 



7. Environmental Factors Governing Floristic Composition and 

 Distribution . 



a. Salt. Viewing storm effects on plants in England, Salisbury 

 (1805) noted that greater damage resulted when rain did not accompany 

 high winds. Beck (1819) noted that storms on the northeast U.S. coast 

 had little effect on plants protected from the wind. These observations 

 precipitated a controversy over the importance of wind effects versus 

 salt spray effects on plants. Coulter, Barnes, and Cowles (1911) 



