Vegetation and Ground Cover of Permanent Plots for Upper Phillips Creek Marsh, Nassawadox, VA 1990-2014

Juncus roemerianus, the black needlerush, is a commonly found salt marsh plant. It exists especially in areas of little tidal inundation and low salinities. As such, it may play an important role in the accretion of marshes where sediment sources are not readily accessible. Biogenic accretion of marshes is a slow process representing the net result of production and decomposition. To study the process effectively requires long-term observations and experiments. We will initiate research at this site by selecting locations for study, collecting preliminary data on the locations, and designing long-term experiments. Plots for long-term observations will allow for analyses of changes in dominance of cover by plant species. We will choose plots to include the interface between J. roemerianus and other species and will follow changes at the interface. Also attached is an unpublished manuscript (PDF/A format) containing details of the data and some analyses.