Miller and Egler Photostations established August 25, 1947.

Photostation No.: 14

Location: Headquarters Marsh - view looking south toward a small elevated mound that presently has Iva frutescens.

Photo top (1947, Scaylea), middle (1976, Coleman) and bottom (2015, Rozsa). 2015 photograph taken from a flat rock to the north of 'island'.

1947:

“Erosion on the margins of a Panicum virgatum and Juncus gerardii “island” in the tidal marsh. The black border is the undercut and receding margin of the eroding soil” (Miller and Egler, 1950). This is the same erosion described by Miller and Egler (1950) at Brucker Marsh and is later described by Gross (1966) as the eroded edge.

1976:

“This picture is taken slightly closer to the upland than 1948. A stand of forb panne community is revegetating the eroding margin. Distichlis spicata is prevalent with several small stands of Spartina patens scattered throughout the community. Iva frutescens and Spartina patens are the dominant species on the small upland island.” (Coleman 1976). The Panicum/Juncus of the island as shown in the first figure has been colonized by salt meadow cord-grass and Iva. This change illustrates marsh transgression. [Coleman's studies were ~10 years out of phase for the conversion of the Juncus belt to the eroded edge. Coleman did not observe the Juncus belt adjacent to the upland. However by 1983, the Juncus belt had formed (on the lower slope of the Panicum belt) and was becoming the eroded edge.]

2015:

The former upland island is mostly Juncus gerardii with stressed and dying Iva frutescens. and will soon become salt panne vegetation. In the foreground, the Distichlis of the second photograph has given way to salt panne vegetation and stunted Spartina alterniflora panne.