Shrubl Maritime Juniper Woodland/Shrubland

Maritime Juniper Woodland/ShrublWoodland/Shrublandand State Rank: S1 – Critically Imperiled

The Maritime Juniper Woodland/ substrate stability; even Shrubland is a predominantly evergreen in stable situations community within the coastal salt spray community edges may zone; The trees tend to be short (less not be clear. Different than 15 feet) and scattered, with the types of communities tops sculpted by winds and salt spray; grade into and interdigitate with each forests, in areas of continuous changes of other. Very small patches levels of salt spray and substrate types. of any type within The dominant species is eastern red cedar another community (also called juniper), though the should be considered to Maritime Juniper Woodland/Shrubland above a abundance of red cedar is highly variable. be part of the variation of salt marsh. Photo: Patricia Swain, NHESP. It grows in association with scattered trees the main community. Description: Maritime Juniper and shrubs typical of the surrounding Maritime Pitch Pine Woodland/Shrublands occur on and vegetation such as pitch pine, various Woodlands on Dunes are between sand dunes, on the upper edges oaks, black cherry, red maple, blueberries, dominated by pitch pine. Maritime provide habitat for shrubland nesting birds of salt marshes and on cliffs and rocky huckleberries, sumac, and very often, Shrubland communities are dominated by and are important as feeding and resting/ headlands: all areas receiving salt spray poison ivy. Green briar can be abundant in a dense mixture of primarily deciduous roosting areas for migrating birds. from high winds. The maritime juniper more established woodlands, particularly shrubs, but may include red cedar. Bare Generally, in more salt influenced community is evergreen, dominated by along open edges. The herbaceous layer is sand dominates Maritime Dune environments, fewer animals will be variable amounts of short (less than 15 highly variable, with little blue stem grass, Communities that are only sparsely expected. ft.), often scattered eastern red cedar beach grass, and sedges, often with vegetated with very scattered patches of (juniper) sculpted by winds and salt spray. scattered beach heather. Open areas have low shrubs, including red cedar, pitch Examples with Public Access: Although this community is often lichen patches. Microtopography and pines, herbaceous species, and grasses. Sandy Neck, Barnstable; Cape Cod protected behind foredunes, occasional local conditions strongly influence the The most similar vegetation to Maritime National Seashore, Wellfleet. Boston severe storms may deposit windblown species assemblage. Juniper Woodland/Shrubland is old field Harbor Islands, Hingham. salt, sand, and tidal overwash that damage red cedar (not separated out as a or kill existing plants, altering the community type in this classification). community for some years - and Old field red cedar dominated woodlands maintaining the mosaic of community grow in abandoned pastures and along types in the barrier beach system. The major highways and are not maintained by steepness of dune or bluff slopes and salt spray. They are often more diverse exposure to wind and salt spray maintain than the maritime community and would this as an open community. On flatter Maritime Juniper Woodland/Shrubland at the be expected to become more forested over adjacent uplands, this community grades top of a foredune. Photo: P. Swain, NHESP. time. They may be quite difficult to into denser forest, other maritime separate from adjoining Maritime Juniper communities, and successional old fields. Differentiating from Related Woodland/Shrublands. Communities: The Maritime Juniper Characteristic Species: Maritime Woodland/Shrubland community may be Habitat for Associated Fauna: Juniper Woodland/Shrubland varies from sparse shrubland or woodland, mixed with There are no animal species known to be other communities, in areas of constant restricted to maritime woodlands or dense shrubland to open woodland. Trees Inside an older Juniper Woodland, top of a bluff are usually short relative to interior changes in levels of salt spray and shrublands. However, these communities next to the ocean. Photo: P. 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