Stewardship Plan - the Town of Dennis

Maritime Beach Strand (MBS) – Open beaches within Crowes Pasture include sandy areas
near the mouth of Quivet Creek, the frontal sandy beach, and eroding headlands. Glacial
erratic can be found on the frontal beach. Most of the beach lacks vegetation although dusty
Miller (Artemesia stellariana), seabeach sandwort (Honkenya peploides), seabeach orache
(Atriplex pantandra), and seaside
goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens)
can be found at the base of the bluffs.
Glacial Erratic at Crowes Pasture beach west access
Maritime Dune (MD, MD-I) – Two
maritime dune categories were
identified at Crowes Pasture; coastal
and interior. The coastal maritime
dune occurs between the beach and
on the sandy uplands of the peninsula
extending between the salt marsh and
the mouth of Quivet Creek. A heavily
used off road vehicle (ORV) trail
extends through this area. The coastal
maritime dune is characterized by
sand blowouts with sparse vegetation.
The most common species found in this area is beach grass (Ammophila breviligulata) with
beach pea (Lathyrus japonicas), pinweed (Lechea spp.) and beach plum found occasionally.
Poison ivy and poverty grass (Danthonia spicata) are also present. Several areas support
extensive lichen communities.
Located between two wetland areas and bordering the east side of Safari Road, the interior
maritime dune community occurs behind a narrow strand of maritime forest dominated by post
oak, black oak and beach plum (Prunus maritima) and bayberry. Extensive open sands and
rich lichen communities are present throughout the interior dune area. In this area beach plum,
pitch pines and oaks, broad patches of golden heather (Hudsonia ericoides), sickle-leaved
aster (Chrysopsis falcata), and bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) can also be found. Isolated
clumps of beach grass and aster (Aster rigida) are also present. Bayberry is common along the
edges, as is red cedar and black cherry.
Maritime Shrubland (MS) – This habitat type can be found on the northwestern side of the
property and along the roadside edges. It is a thicket dominated by a mix of arrowwood,
bayberry, black cherry, shadbush, and Morrow’s honeysuckle. Other common species include
beach plum, high-bush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), tupelo, pitch pine, and stunted
oaks (scrub, post, scarlet, black). It appears from historic aerial photographs (1971) that this is
a successional plant community following historic clearing for pasture. Stonewalls run through
this community type. Poison ivy and Virginia creeper are common.
Pitch Pine – Oak/Red Cedar Forest (PPO) – Located west of the pasture area, this habitat is
dominated by pitch pine, with oaks (white, scarlet and black) also common. In portions which
were historically pastureland, red cedar is frequently found. The understory is almost an
impenetrable thicket of greenbrier in many areas. The herbaceous layer is sparse with grasses
(Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca filiformis) frequently observed. Other species include
arrowwood, highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), Virginia creeper, Poison ivy,
bayberry, honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii/bella and japonica), scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia),