in size. Individual plants sampled in site 3 ranged in size from 1- to 24- 

 percent cover in a 50-square-centimeter quadrat. Solidago sempervirens has 

 the largest below-ground storage organs of the species studied. Roots form 

 adventitiously along buried stems which can reach more than 1 centimeter in 

 diameter. 



In both 1977 and 1978, cover data were highly correlated to density data. 

 The slope of the regression line can be used as a measure of plant size. The 

 slope in 1978 (11.06) greatly exceeded the slope in J 977 (1.95). The number 

 of individual Solidago sempervirens axes in the noneroded quadrats in site 3 

 was significantly reduced by overwash burial (1977, 102 axes; 1978, 36 axes). 

 Plant cover for Solidago sempervirens was, however, not significantly reduced 

 (1977, 2.77 percent; 1978, 2.34 percent; t' > 0.05). One-third of the plants 

 were covering a statistically similar amount of surface area. Overwash burial 

 reduces the number of individual axes (plants) but stimulates plant growth. 

 Solidago sempervirens plants affected by overwash are approximately three 

 times larger than unaffected plants. 



Like Lathyyue japonieus, Solidago sempervirens grows well on accreting 

 dunes, although high Ammophila bveviligulata biomass may reduce Solidago 

 sempervirens cover substantially. Solidago sempervirens seedlings have 

 been found on high dunes. Seedlings and regenerating fragments of Solidago 

 sempervirens are also found in drift lines. 



(e) Discussion . The four duna species that made up 95.3 percent 

 of the I.V. of site 3 in 1977 were all able to recover from overwash burial. 

 In all cases, these species were able to recover from instantaneous burial 

 during the dormant season that equaled or exceeded typical annual aeolian 

 burial levels. Of the four species, Ammophila breviligulaba recovers most 

 effectively (63 percent) from overwash burial. None of uhe dune species 

 showed a differential response to burial depth. A review of the effect of 

 overwash on the site 3 community that was not eroded away appears in Table 26. 

 The I.V. of Ammophila breviliguLita, Lathyrus japonieus, and Solidago semper- 

 virens increabed; the I.V. of Artemisia stelleriana decreased. Although the 

 recovering percentage for Solidago sempervirens (38 percent) was lower than 

 for Artemisia stelleriana (40 percent) , the percent cover for Solidago 

 senvpervirens was statistically similar in 1977 and 1978, while Artemisia 

 stelleriana declined significantly (Table 26). 



Table 26. The effect of overwash on the importance value of species 

 in noneroded areas of site 3 (137 quadrats), 1978. 



Species 



Quadrats with plants 



that recovered 



(pet) 



I.V. 



Change I.V. 

 (pet) 



Ammophila breviligulata 

 Artemisia stelleriana 

 Lathyrus japonicus 

 Solidago sempervirens 



63 



40 

 44 

 38 



108.8 +24 134.5 



130.3 -30 91.8 



27.6 +47 40.6 



19.3 +55 29.78 



103 



