There was 73 percent less dune habitat In 1978 than in 1938. The location 

 of dune destruction and development was determined from map overlays (Table 

 46). Although most dune area was lost es a result of shoreline erosion (48 

 percent), overwash played an important role in destruction of the dune line 

 at Nauset Spit-Eastham (31 percent), particularly during the February 1978 

 northeaster. During the 122 years considered In this study, 84.4 hectares 

 of dunes was leveled, while only 15.2 hectares of new dunes was developed. 

 Most of these new dunes were built on washovers deposited on salt marshes (59 

 percent) . 



Table 46. 



Location of areas lost or gained for salt 

 marshes and dunes on Nauset Spit-Eastham. 





1856- 



■1938 



1933- 



-52 



1952- 



-73 



1856- 



■1978 





(ha) 



(pet) 



1 (ha) i 



[pet) 



(ha) 



(pet) 



(ha) 



(pet) 



Salt D£.reh 



Lost Co: 



















Was hover 



1.7 



16 



3.5 



28 



13.1 



94 



18.3 



49 



Bay side 



1.9 



18 



5.2 



42 



0.2 



1 



7.3 



20 



Dune 



7.0 



66 



2.0 



16 



0.0 





9.0 



24 



Terminus 



0.0 





1.7 



14 



0.7 



5 



2.4 



6 



Total lost 



10.6 





12.4 





14.0 





37.0 





Gained from: 



















Was hover 



0.0 





0.0 





0.1 



5 



0.1 



1 



Bay aide 



4.6 



84 



0.4 



4 



2.0 



95 



6.8 



55 



Dune 



0.9 



16 



4.5 



96 



0.0 





5.4 



44 



Terminus 



0.0 





0.0 





0.0 





0.0 





Total gained 



5.5 





4.7 





2.1 





12.3 





Net change 



-S.l 

















Dune 



Lost to: 

 Ocean 

 Washower 

 Salt tuts 

 Bay side 

 Terminus 



Total lost 



25.0 

 7.1 

 0.9 

 0.4 

 2.1 



35.5 



9.4 

 5.4 

 4.5 

 0.0 

 5.8 

 25.1 



5.9 

 13.7 

 0.0 

 0.0 

 0.0 

 19.6 



40.3 

 26.3 

 5.4 

 0.4 

 12.0 

 84.4 



Gained from: 



Ocean ind 

 washover 



0.0 



2.7 



57 



Salt oarsh 7.0 80 2.0 43 0.0 



Bay aide 1.7 20 0.0 0.0 



Terminus 0.0 0.0 0.5 



Total gained 8.7 4.7 1.8 



Net change -26.8 



'Percentage of hectares (lost or gained) 



9.0 



59 



1.7 



11 



0.5 



3 



15.2 





The salt-marsh area also changed suostantially in 122 years. There was 

 a 43-percent decrease in area of marshes contiguous to the dune line between 

 1856 and 1978. A total of 37 hectares of salt marsh (73 percent) was lost 

 mainly as a result of overwash- and washover-associated dune development. New 



172 



v \ 



