Maritime Forest/Woodland State Rank: S2 – Imperiled

limited to those with deep delving root also highly variable and includes systems. While sandy soils are generally bracken fern, Canada mayflower, low in nutrients, these soils may have partridge-berry, starflower, and higher nutrient levels than expected due to sedges and grasses. Interdunal the accumulation of leaf litter, fragments forests often include species of of sea shells, and input from salt spray wetlands such as swamp-azalea, (which in the extreme, can produce viburnums, winterberry, and high conditions too salty for many plants). bush blueberry. The herbaceous layer of these wetter areas sometimes includes species Dense Maritime Forest/Woodland in protected usually associated with rich, back dunes. Photo: Bruce A. Sorrie, NHESP. moist sites such as columbine, starry Solomon's seal, and skunk Description: Maritime communities meadow-rue. environments, fewer animals are occur near the ocean on exposed bluffs, expected. Maritime Forest/Woodlands the back or inland side of dunes, Differentiating from Related provide resting and foraging habitat for interdunal areas, and salt marsh borders, Communities: Maritime Forests/ migrating songbirds. Vertebrates and in mosaics of vegetation structure and Woodlands usually occur in a mosaic with invertebrates of oak and oak-pine forests species mixes. Strong winds, shifting other maritime and coastal communities. occur in Maritime Forest/Woodlands. sands, and flooding with saltwater create a Greenbrier on oaks inside a Maritime Forest/ Communities grade into other types in the High white-tailed deer densities impact dynamic system that maintains a variety Woodland. Photo: Patricia Swain, NHESP. mosaic, maturing and being reset to abundance of woody seedlings such as of stages of early successional vegetation. earlier successional stages by disturbance oaks, as well as herbaceous plants. Characteristic Species: Local The Maritime Forest/Woodland has a from storms, movement of sand, flooding, conditions strongly influence the species Examples with Public Access: mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees and drought. Maritime Forests/Woodlands assemblage in Maritime Forests/ Cape Cod National Seashore, Wellfleet; in the canopy that is lower than typical in are very near the ocean, receive regular Woodlands. All the vegetation layers Sandy Neck, Barnstable; Demarest Lloyd more inland areas, ~30 feet (10m) tall. salt spray, and have stunted canopies of include species usually found in less SP, Dartmouth; Salisbury Salt Marsh Many trees are multiple stemmed and mixed tree species. Maritime Pitch Pine acidic areas. The canopy commonly WMA and Carr Island WS, Salisbury; contorted from pruning by winds carrying Woodlands on Dunes are dominated by includes black, scarlet, white and other Parker River NWR, Newburyport. salt and sand. Soils are usually sands with pitch pine, and have sparser canopies. oaks, hickories, American holly, sassafras, a surface layer of organic material that Maritime Juniper Woodland/Shrublands black gum, black cherry, and red maple. can slow moisture infiltration and keep are dominated by Virginia juniper. American Beech is often present and may the areas moister than more exposed Maritime Shrublands are dominated by be dominant. Pitch pine and red cedar surroundings. In addition, groundwater shrubs and have <25% tree canopy. have patchy, low cover. Basswood and may be close to the surface in some low Coastal Forest/Woodlands are further hackberry are occasionally present. Vines interdunal areas. Such low interdunal from the coast and are not affected by salt including greenbrier, poison ivy, Virginia areas may be quite mesic and support spray on a daily basis. They have taller creeper, grape, and non-native Oriental relatively high species diversity. Where trees and a shrub layer consisting bittersweet may be dense. Shrubs include groundwater is lower, plant species are primarily of low bush blueberry and black bayberry, inkberry, winged sumac, Maritime Forests/Woodlands are mixed shadbush, and sweet pepper-bush. Dense huckleberry. deciduous/evergreen forests within the thickets of non-native invasives include Habitat for Associated Fauna: coastal salt spray zone; Vegetation Japanese barberry, Japanese and Morrow growth is stunted by winds and salt There are no animal species known to be Dense edge of an oak dominated Maritime honeysuckle, common buckthorn, and/or spray, resulting in short trees (< 30 ft;); restricted to Maritime Forests/Woodlands. Forest/Woodland in dunes. Photo: Patricia multiflora rose. The herbaceous layer is Generally, in more salt influenced Swain, NHESP.

From: Classification of Natural Communities of Massachusetts htthttpp://www;mass;gov/nhesp/ ://www;mass;gov/nhesp/ Updated: 2016 Natural Heritage & Endangered Species Program, Division of FishFisheeriesries & Wildlife, 1 Rabbit Hill Rd;, Westborough, M! 01581 (508) 389-6360