Observations on the Sand Dunes of Barbados, British West Indies

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Three sand dune areas in Barbados are desc. in some detail and two other seashore localities are briefly mentioned. Three more or less clear vegetation zones running parallel with the sea margin are traced: a pioneer zone with Sporobolus virginicus, Euphorbia buxifolia and Philoxerus vermicularis as its important members, followed by a zone dominated by Ipomoea pescaprae, and finally a zone dominated by Coccoloba uvifera. There is a progression from low to higher growth forms as distance from the sea increases. Soil analyses show that the water contents and concs. of salt in water at 15 cm. depth are more or less similar in the corresponding vegetation zones of the tree areas and as distance from the sea increases the moisture content of the soil increases, the salt conc. in the soil water decreases as the pH decreases. The vegetation zones may be regarded as stages in a sere, but are held in a comparatively stable condition by topographic factors.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: