B-36) shared the same dominant species (Triplasis purpurea) and habitat as 
the oceanside intershrub community (Tables B-9 to B-12). The compositional 
differences between these two communities appeared to be related to the fact 
that the former occurred farther away from salt spray than the latter. 
Several nonsalt tolerant plants existed in the sound-side disturbed- 
herbaceous area that were not found in the oceanside intershrub community 
(i.e., Juncus spp. and Monarda punctata). 
The sound-side disturbed-shrub community comprised approximately 1.7 
hectares (4.2 acres) and was located north of the sound-side disturbed- 
herbaceous community. This community was a mixture of shrub and herbaceous 
plants, the dominant species including Spartina patens, Juncus 
megacephallus, Andropogon vtrginteus, and Myrica certfera. Many plant 
species, including Vacctntwn corymbosun and Hterachtum gronovit, were 
endemic to this area. The uniqueness of the area, as depicted on the 
ordination perspectives (Figs. 4, 5, and 6), is due in part to manmade 
perturbations. A high berm that existed along the eastern edge of the 
sound-side communities had been leveled by road-building activities in the 
area adjacent to the sound-side disturbed-shrub community. The loss of this 
protective berm exposed this community to severe winter winds and their 
suspended salts. Several shrub species which occurred in the sound-side 
disturbed-shrub community were also found in the sound-side 
shrub community (e.g., Baccharis halimifolta, Cornus florida, and Rhus 
copallina). However, now that the berm has been removed, the sound-side 
disturbed-shrub community will probably not become homogeneous with the 
sound-side shrub community. 
The sound-side shrub community was the largest of the sound-side com- 
munities (6.6 hectares or 16.3 acres, Table 5). Protected on the east by a 
series of dunes 3.0 to 7.6 meters (10 to 25 feet) high, this community 
represented a maturing maritime forest of Prunus serotina, Quercus 
virgintana, and Pinus taeda trees, several of which had a diameter at breast 
height of more than 25 centimeters (10 inches). Other important species in- 
cluded Cornus florida, Ilex opaca, Magnolia virgintana, Myrica cerifera, and 
Persta borbonta. The sound-side shrub community permanent quadrat 2 (Fig. 
C-48) was disturbed when a road was constructed within 3.0 meters (10 feet) 
of the permanent quadrat marker. With the shrubs removed, the successional 
patterns of this community and the roadside disturbed community were similar 
(Fig. C-62). 
The vine Lontcera sempervirens and the shrub Zanthoxylum clava-herculis 
were endemic to this area. The uniqueness of this area was borne out by the 
x-z and y-z axis perspectives (Figs. 5 and 6). The apparent similarity to 
the oceanside shrub community on the x-y axis was due to the mutual occur- 
rence of large numbers of Myritca certfera and Prunus serotina.. However, 
this similarity did not occur when the species richness of the woody vegeta- 
tion of the two areas was compared (12 versus 2 for the sound-side shrub and 
oceanside shrub communities, respectively). 
As previously discussed, the wetland communities were not included in 
the ordination model. Two distinct wetland types existed: a bulrush wet- 
land dominated by Sctrpus americanus (Fig. C-59) and a reed wetland domi- 
nated by Pragmites commnts (Fig. C-60). Other important species of the 
bulrush wetland included Heleniuwn autumnale, Sagittaria falcata, Spartina 
alterniflora, S. cynosurotdes, S. patens, and Soltdago sempervtrens. With 
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