Assateague Island National Seashore

Thank you for visiting Assateague Island National Seashore and for participating in our Chronolog Citizen Science Project. The Life of the Forest trail provides easy access into one of Assateague Island’s most diverse and extensive habitats. Maritime forests and shrublands occupy the middle and western portions of this barrier island and are dominated by evergreen trees such as loblolly pine, American holly, and red cedar. Wax myrtle and groundsel shrubs thrive beneath the tree canopy and create dense thickets that provide excellent habitat for wildlife. Common forest inhabitants include migratory songbirds such as warblers and vireos, as well as white-tailed deer, non-native Sika deer, and an abundance of insects. A variety of wildlife, including the famous wild horses, find food and fresh drinking water in this habitat, and seek protection here from the harsh barrier island conditions.   

As climate changes, maritime forest habitats along Assateague Island are particularly sensitive to saltwater intrusion into the ground water table. Because of the porous sandy soils, rising sea levels will increase the salinity within the root zone to the point where woody plants and trees become stressed and cannot survive. You may notice large expanses of standing dead trees also known as ghost forests. Over time, the adjacent saltmarsh habitat will likely migrate into these ghost forests. These changes are not easily noticed during just one visit to Assateague Island, but photographs over time tell the story. Your photograph taken at this location will help document the slow, but steady impact of sea level rise on the habitats of Assateague Island National Seashore.  

Assateague Island - Life of the Forest Trail

Thank you for visiting Assateague Island National Seashore and for participating in our Chronolog Citizen Science Project. The Life of the Marsh trail provides excellent views of tidal marshes, forests, and shallow open water habitats that stretch the entire length of Assateague Island. Saltmarshes provide abundant wildlife habitat and critical protection from coastal storm events. They also filter pollutants from the water and provide unique areas for visitor exploration.

You are likely to see a variety of birds in this habitat, including herons, egrets, gulls, and sandpipers in the warmer months. During the winter, ducks and waterfowl flock to saltmarshes to find fish and other sources of food and cover. Mammals, such as the native white-tailed deer, non-native Sika deer, as well as the famous wild horses, often roam through these wetlands to graze on the abundant saltmarsh grasses. Diamondback terrapin turtles also inhabit this area in high numbers and use adjacent sandy shorelines to bury their nests during breeding season. Mollusks, such as the Atlantic ribbed mussel, thrive along the edges of the saltmarsh, while the Atlantic quahog clam lies buried in the sediments below the water’s surface.

Saltmarshes are dominated by a variety of halophytes, or plants that live in saltwater, such as saltmarsh cordgrass, salt grass and black needlerush.  These specialized plants trap sediments and pollutants, preventing them from reaching the bays and ocean, thereby improving overall water quality. In between the high and low areas of saltmarsh, are salt pannes; shallow depressions within the marsh that are intermittently connected to the adjacent coastal bays. In the summer months, the shallow stagnant water will evaporate from these pannes leaving salt residue behind.  

Future changes to this saltmarsh are inevitable. Invasive, non-native plant species, such as common reed, exert a constant threat to the health of the saltmarsh ecosystem. Without active management, invasive plants can outcompete and outgrow native species, leading to a decrease in biodiversity and ecosystem health. Wild horse grazing and trampling also reduces plant growth, breaking up the loosely rooted vegetation which contributes to accelerated erosion.   

Historically, coastal storm events have reshaped the shorelines along Assateague Island. Although daily changes in water level are typical here, a significant increase in sea level will drown tidal marshes and convert them to open water. These changes are not easily noticed during just one visit to Assateague Island, but photographs over time tell the story. Your photograph taken at this location will help document the slow, but steady impact of sea level rise on the saltmarsh habitats of Assateague Island National Seashore.

Assateague Island - Life of the Marsh Trail

Thank you for visiting Assateague Island National Seashore and for participating in our Chronolog Citizen Science Project.  Dunes and grasslands are among the most dynamic habitats along Assateague Island and are always changing. American beach grass serves as the foundation of the dune ecosystem. Grass stems and rhizomes grow deep into the sandy substrate, stabilizing dunes, and supporting dune growth. Beach heather is another common dune plant that grows along lower elevation dunes and provides a showy display of yellow blooms every spring. Red foxes frequent these dune and grassland habitats, scavenging for dead fish and other marine life that wash in with the tides. During extended periods of low storm frequency, tree species like the loblolly pine start to encroach into the dune environment from the adjacent forest. 

As global climate changes, the rate of sea level rise and the intensity of coastal storms is expected to increase. During major coastal storm events, ocean waves wash over the dunes, carrying large amounts of sand and saltwater that gets deposited within the island interior. This natural overwash process redistributes sediment, builds land surface elevation, and allows the barrier island to migrate westward in response to sea level rise. As the rate of overwash increases, dunes will erode, and beach elevations will decrease. A single coastal storm event can result in drastic changes across this landscape. Your photograph taken at this location will help document the impact of sea level rise and coastal storm surge on the habitats of Assateague Island National Seashore.            

Assateague Island National Seashore

Maryland

3 chronologs managed by Assateague Island National Seashore

Assateague Island - Life of the Dunes Trail

Assateague Island - Life of the Marsh Trail

Assateague Island - Life of the Forest Trail

About Assateague Island National Seashore

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