Beyond the narrow
ribbon of salt marsh, between land and sea, lies the sand
plain and dunes
of Cape Cod. Whereas the salt marsh is a landscape of water,
the sand plain is a landscape of fire. The soils are dry
and porous; the plants are those which can survive
fire and drought. Some, as the pitch pine, are dependant on fire to open
their cones to seed, others survive the droughts and fires
as black oak, bear berry, sweet fern,
cladonia and andropogon grasses. The plant palette like the salt marsh has
adapted over time to survive the harsh conditions of the
sand plain. The landscape mosaic of the sand plain has been
documented over the years using aerial photography, ground
level photography, drawings and color analysis
to communicate the subtle beauty and unique qualities of the sand plain to
the public. |