Table 36. Measurements of AmmophiZa bveiriligulata in drift Lines, 

 August 1978. 



Fragments Oceanic drift Storm drift Bay drift Totals 



line line line 



X s.d. X s.d. X s.d. X 



Tillers per fragment 



Leaves per fragment 



Length (cm) of longest 

 leaf per new tiller 



New rhizomes per fragment 0.8 



Length (cm) of new 

 rhizomes per fragment 



2.1 



1.1 



1.8 



1.0 



1.8 



1.1 



1.9 



7.2 



4.0 



6.6 



4.3 



6.0 



4.1 



6.6 



58.6 



8.0 



36.4 



11.2 



49.8 



10.5 



48.2 



0.8 



0.9 



0.5 



0.9 



0.3 



0.5 



0.3 



32.4 



31.1 



5.6 



5.1 



5.8 



4.3 



19.0 



The number of leaves on each regenerating fragment and on each tiller 

 early in the growing season is also a measure of reallocatable resources and 

 habitat conditions. Once again bay drift lines had less vegetative growth in 

 early June than either oceanic or storm drift lines (Table 35). Highly 

 significantly fewer leaves were produced per fragment and per tiller than In 

 either the oceanic or storm drift lines, which did not differ significantly. 



In August the number of leaves per fragment was again counted (Table 36). 

 Fewer leaves were found on fragments in bay drift lines than in the oceanic 

 drift line (P < 0.01). Bay drift lines did not differ from storm drift piles; 

 storm and oceanic drift habitats did not differ with respect to leaf number 

 per fragment. While tiller numbers in bay drift lines increased during the 

 growing season, the number of leaves (and likely the amount of photosynthate) 

 was still less than in oceanic drift lines. 



Apparently, smaller propagule size in bay drift lines leads to slow 

 initial growth, which by August is compensated for by habitat conditions. 

 Storm drift piles have larger fragments and better initial growth but may die 

 during the hot, dry suxnir.er months. Plants in oceanic drift lines appear to 

 grow well initially and to continue to do better than those in other areas. 



Perhaps the best estimation of the value of a particular drift line in the 

 tMColonization of washovers is the abiLity of established Artmophila brevili- 

 gulata fragments to expand laterally. Horizontal rhizomes were not present on 

 iny Ammophila breviligulata fragments excavated in June, but were common on 

 fragments excavated in August (40 rhizomes greater than 1 centimeter long on 

 75 plant fragments; Table 36). Latere! rhizome production was the greatest in 

 oceanic drift lines and the least in bay drift lines. There was a significant 

 difference (P < 0.05) in rhlzoine number per fragment between bay and oceanic 

 drift lines. Rhizome length was clearly greater in oceanic drift lines 

 (P < 0.01) than the other two habitats. Other plants measured in the three 

 drift lines indicated that the ocean site generally produced larger plants. 

 Storm drift-line plants were generally smallest. 



143 



