the exception of Juncus coreaceus, which was also found in the reed 
wetlands, all plant species of the bulrush wetlands were endemic to that 
area. 
3. Comparative Vegetational Analysis: Levy (1976) versus Present Study. 
The most visible change which occurred within the study area since 
Levy's (1976) original study was the homogeneous mixing and expansion of the 
planted bitter panicum and planted American beachgrass communities. The 
planted bitter panicum community was originally codominated by Triplasts 
purpurea and Panteun amarun. The planted American beachgrass community was 
dominated by 7. purpurea and Ammophtla breviligulata. Combined (Table 5), 
these communities covered 13.4 hectares (33 acres), 1.2 and 12.2 hectares 
(3 and 30 acres), respectively. Levy (1976) found the planted bitter 
panicum community had one’ of the most depauperate floras, the lowest biomass 
of areas sampled in his study, and indicated the area represented a failed 
planting attempt. Levy further suggested that 7. purpurea may be important 
as a soil stabilizer. This indeed appeared to have been the case in both 
communities, as 7. purpurea decreased from its dominant role in 1975 to a 
minor member of the new planted bitter panicum-planted American beachgrass 
community. This new community was dominated by Pantcwn virgatum and covered 
an area of approximately 18.0 hectares (44.5 acres). The increase in area 
was due to the northward expansion of the community which covered 
approximately 4.9 additional hectares (12 acres) previously described as low 
dune grass, into areas previously found dominated by T. purpurea or Cenchrus 
tribuloides (Levy, 1976). The expansion of this community is expected to 
continue southward into the current sandgrass and low dune communities (Fig. 
Do 
Levy's (1976) sandgrass-buttonweed (Figs. C-37 to C-42) and spurge- 
sandgrass (Figs. C-43 and C-44) communities had also undergone major 
vegetational changes. The former community, originally dominated by Tf. 
purpurea, was dominated by Pantewn amarum. The change again supported 
Levy's (1976) theory of the pioneering nature of 7. purpurea. The dominant 
P. amarum was the species which was planted in the original planted bitter 
panicum community and failed to survive. Perhaps enough rootstock or seed 
survived to allow reestablishment of the species in the adjacent area. At 
the time plantings were established, both the planted American beachgrass 
and planted bitter panicum communities were fertilized. The sandgrass— 
buttonweed community was not fertilized, which may explain the initial 
exclusion of P. amarumn and the invasion of the highly competitive P, 
virgatum into the planted bitter panicum area. Similarly the successful 
invasion of P. amarwm into the sandgrass-buttonweed area may be due to the 
lower fertility which may have excluded P. virgatum. 
The spurge-sandgrass community of Levy's (1976) study was totally 
devegetated by construction activities at the FRF. The new vegetation 
assemblage represented a continuum between the planted bitter panicum- 
planted American beachgrass and the foredune communities. 
The dominant species and the areal extent of the foredune community 
(Figs. C-1 to C-6) have changed. Originally dominated by Uniola paniculata 
and Ammophtla brevtligulata (Levy,1976), the new assemblage is dominated by 
33 
