Name:
NY Heritage: Maritime shrubland
Reference:
Ecological Communities of New York, 2nd Ed.
Description:
A shrubland community that occurs on dry seaside bluffs and headlands that are exposed to onshore winds and salt spray. This community typically occurs as a tall shrubland (2-3 m), but may include areas under 1m shrub height, to areas with shrubs up to 4 m tall forming a shrub canopy in shallow depressions. These low areas may imperceptibly grade into shrub swamp if soils are sufficiently wet. Trees are usually sparse or absent (ideally less than 25% cover).
Characteristic shrubs and sapling trees include shadbush (Amelanchier canadensis), bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica), black cherry (Prunus serotina), arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum), and shining sumac (Rhus copallinum). Other shrubs and stunted trees include beach-plum (Prunus maritima), sand-rose (Rosa rugosa), wild rose (R. virginiana), eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana), American holly (Ilex opaca), black oak (Quercus velutina), and sassafras (Sassafras albidum). Small amounts of highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), red maple (Acer rubrum), and black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) are found in moister low areas, often grading to small patches of shrub swamp. Fly honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) is a common invasive shrub in this community
Characteristic vines include poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quiquefolius), and greenbrier (Smilax rotundifolia). Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) and Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) are common invasive vines in this community.
The herb layer is very sparse and may contain a few scatttered flat-topped goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia), wild indigo (Baptisia tinctoria), white-topped aster (Aster paternus), and little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium).
Maritime shublands may form a patchy mosaic and grade into other maritime communities. For example, if trees become more prevalent it may grade into one of the maritime forest communities, such as successional maritime forest. If a severe storm reduces shrub cover and deposits sand into the community it may be converted to a maritime dune. This community shares many shrub species with maritime dunes, but typically lacks the maritime dune herb species. More data on possible landscape variants are needed (e.g., maritime shrublands on morainal headland vs. outwash barrier dune).
Birds that may be found in maritime shrublands include black-crowned night-heron (Nycticorax nycticorax ), fish crow (Corvus ossifragus), yellow-breasted chat (Icteria virens ), and migratory songbirds (especially in fall) (Levine 1998).
Accession Code:
VB.CC.28567.NYHERITAGEMARIT
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
11
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