For the Instructor
These student materials complement the Coastal Processes, Hazards and Society Instructor Materials. If you would like your students to have access to the student materials, we suggest you either point them at the Student Version which omits the framing pages with information designed for faculty (and this box). Or you can download these pages in several formats that you can include in your course website or local Learning Managment System. Learn more about using, modifying, and sharing InTeGrate teaching materials.Maritime Forests
Maritime forests are areas of coastally located areas of woods that develop on elevations and topography that is higher than that of coastal wetlands. They primarily rely upon shallow fresh water and cannot tolerate long exposure to salty water; even salt spray can be detrimental to some species of trees that establish maritime forests habitats. Such systems are discontinuously distributed along the U.S. Atlantic coast but can be found elsewhere as well. In most cases, the soil composition promoting the growth of these forests is sand, either derived from sedimentary units deposited in the past or more recent deposits, such as beach ridges (Figure 3.47).
Figure 3.47: Picture of a maritime forest along the Georgia Coast, U.S.A. Note the relatively smooth canopy that helps to shield the interior plants from coastal winds and salt spray.
Credit: USGS: Patuxent Wildlife Research Center