Atlantic Coastal Plain Northern Salt Pond Marsh
These unusual salt ponds are found from New Hampshire to New York behind sandy or cobbly barrier beaches that are breached periodically by storm surges, causing seawater incursion into the pond. Salinity levels, and thus effects on vegetation, are highly variable as a result. A mixture of salt marsh, brackish marsh, and shrublands occurs on the periphery of the pond. Saltmeadow cordgrass, narrowleaf cattail, dwarf spikerush, saltmarsh spikerush, saltmarsh clubrush, common threesquare, and eastern rosemallow are typical species. Salt shrub vegetation at the upper reaches of flooding may occur, and beaked ditch-grass or horned pondweed may occur in the pond. For more information, see NatureServe Explorer.
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