patens is able to recover to initial biomass levels within a year after burial 

 by 30 centimeters of sand. Hosier (1973) reported that burial by 15 centi- 

 meters of sand seemed to result in better growth of Spaitim patens than burial 

 by 5 centimeters. Other studies have shown that Spartina patens can recover 

 from as much as 1 meter of sand burial under artificial conditions (Benedict, 

 1981). 



Four dune species, Ammophila breviligulata, ■ Artemisia stelleriana, Soli- 

 dago sempervirenc , Lathyrus japonicus, and two salt-tnarsh species, Spartina 

 patens and Spartina alterni flora., recovered from overwash burial at the three 

 study sites on Nau9et Spit-Eastham in 1977 and 1978. Three dune species, 

 Agropyron pungens, Artemisia aaudata, and Carex silicea, which were present in 

 less than three quadrats each, did not recover from overwash burial. Spartina 

 patens (var. monogynd) recovered from sand burial in two of three uneroded 

 quadrats, but elevation information was not available for analysis. Four 

 salt-marsh species, Salioornia virginica, Limonium nashii, Puccinellia sp., 

 and Plantago miritima (Seaside plantain), present in numerous quadrats, did 

 not recover from overwash burial. A review of data available for analysis 

 appears in Table 25. The elevation for each quadrat was surveyed during each 

 field season. Depth of sand burial was calculated from survey data collected 

 in 1977 and 1978. Holes excavated in the washover deposit determined which 

 quadrats were eroded by storms. 





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Table 25. Quadrat data for analysis of species response to overwash burial. 



Species 





No. 



of qus 



idrats 



Range 



Limit 





Eroded 



burled 



Recovered 







1977 



1978 



1978 





(cm) 



(era) 







Salt cm re 



h 









' ;moniwn narshii 



91 







91 







4-88 







"'■intago rnriti"n 



37 







37 







45-84 







""■< -jinel Tin ep. 



180 



4 



176 







4-98 







' : ' :' rorr.ia in rginica 



286 







286 







8-98 







'rar-ti.na altemiflorKi 



176 







176 



74 



4-116 



21 



'Tirtina patene (decumbent) 



554 



!6 



538 



83 



4-116 



33 







Uine 











■ propyron timgens 



21 



18 



•» 







8-58 







' — '.o\ i.h j' la brevi I icrAata 



425 



317 



108 



68 



5-98 ' 



5? 



' "*t'r;:,-ia caudatn 



10 



6 



4 







V-36 







' "temisia nt p lleriann 



214 



137 



77 



31 



5-59 



59 



"j'vx (silicea 



I 







1 







51 







ithynta japonieue 



88 



35 



53 



24 



8-65 



43 



?o I i 'iiijo r.enpervi rens 



56 



25 



31 



12 



5-67 



56 



"rartina patens (upright) 



65 



62 



3 



2 



2 



— 



The relief of the steeply scarped edge of he sar.d ro*.d at site 3 was 0.98 

 centinaeter. The next deepest deposit was 0.59 cer.llpecer . 



""No elevation data were collected at site l-T in 1977. 



3; 



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