spray, water-table height, soil moisture, salinity, and nutrient availability 

 on individual species and on community structure (Oosting and Eillings, 1942; 

 Boyee, 1954; Ranwell, 1958, 1959; Tansley, 196b; Art, 1976). The theory of 

 community succession was first investigated on Lake Michigan sand dunes and 

 has since been studied extensively on coastal dune comm-inities (Cowles , 1399; 

 Ranwell, 197 5). Other, more applied research has concentrated on rates of 

 dune building and on salt-marsh establishment (Wood'iouse and Kanes, 1967; 

 Redfield, 1972). 



In recent years, overwash has been recognized as an important factor in 

 the development of both the type of community on barrier beaches and the 

 geomorphology of the barrier itself (Hosier, 1973; Godfrey and Godfrey, 1976; 

 Hosier and Cleary, 1977). On southern and mid-Atlantic barriers, frequently 

 occurring overwash has been studied in detail for both Individual storms, 

 using field observations and surveying techniques (Hosier, 197" 1 ; Leatherman, 

 1976; Travis, 1976), and long-term trends through coring (Godfrey, 1970; 

 Hosier, 1973) and aerial photographic analysis (Hosxer and Cleary, 1977). Few 

 studies have been conducted on northeast barrier beaches where overwash is 

 an infrequent event. The g°.oraorphology of a northeast barrier beach and the 

 response of vegetation to overwash burial have been conceptually modeled 

 (Godfrey, Leatherman, and Zaremba, 1979). 



There have been a large number of geological studies pertainiag to over- 

 wash with respect to barrier evolution. Although various theories have been 

 proposed to explain landward migration of barrier beaches, most coastal •• 



researchers subscribe to the concept of continuous migration by shorerace 

 retreat and overwash-aeol ian-inlet dynamics (Dillon, 1970; Pierce, 1970; 

 Kraft, 1971; Swift, 1975; Leatherman, 197b, 1979a; Armon, 1979; Fisher and 

 Simpson, 1979). Extensive reviews of this literature are provided in anno- ^ 

 tated bibliographies by Leatherman and Joneja (1980) an^ Leathermcu (1981). * 



ft 



Most researchers have found that inlets along the northeast coast are 

 predominantly responsible for landward barrier migration. For instance, Armon 

 (1979) reported that 90 percent of landward sediment tranafera occur within 

 inlet settings along the Malpeqiie barrier system in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, ■, 



Canada. Overwash, however, plays an important tole in association with aeo- 

 lian and dune-building processes in the upward growth ind development of a »» 



barrier (Fisher and Simpson, 1979; Leatherman, 1979b, 1979c). There have been J*, 

 few other studies of northeast barriers, and none of the studies have utilized f»| 



a geobotanioal approach. jr. 



LXine stabilization experiments have been undertaken along the U.S. barrier ^ 



coastline from Massachusetts to Texas (Savage, 1963; Gage, 1970; Dahl, at al., ^ 



1975; Woodhouse, 1978). Woodhouse and Wanes (1967) and Woodhouse, Seneca, and ["> 



Broome (1976) conducted significant studies along the Outer Banks of North \-[ 



Carolina where sand fences and dune grasses were used to trap and retain wind- K> 



blown sand. Knutson (1977) summarizes planting guidelines for dune creation o. 



and stabilization. 



Experimental dune restoration and stabilization have been conducted at 

 Nauset Spit (Knutson, 1980). Experimental plots were established in 1970 near 

 Nauset Harbor to compare the performance of Ammophila bveviligulata (American 

 beachgrass) to sand fencing for dune building. Although sand fences initially 

 captured sand more rapidly than planted grasses, both techniques were nearly 

 equally successful once the A.mmophila breviligulata became established. This 

 study demonstrated that dunes can be effectively and quickly created and 



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