Assessing 20 years of change in the interdunal swale plant communities of Sandy Neck.

Abstract

Interdunal swales occur between sand dunes and support a relatively high density and diversity of plants. In the mid-1990s, data were collected on the plant communities of various swales at Sandy Neck in Barnstable, MA. The very same methods were repeated, 20 years later (in this study) in a unique attempt to quantify change in these swale plant communities over time. Distinct patterns of succession emerged, and the removal of the highly invasive Phragmites australis, or common reed, had no long-term impact on the plant communities of invaded swales.