One of the questions we revisited many times on this trip was, Why is plant distribution so patchy? The answer to that question varied. Sometimes environmental conditions like soil characteristics, salinity, or nutrient availability explained plant distribution. Other times, the physical environment did not yield such obvious answers. In the salt marshes on Sapelo Island, microelevations in topography contributed to the plant patchiness seen here.
Deposition of wrack - organic marine debris - on the marsh contributed to the formation of bare patches known as salt pans.
Passionflower Passiflora incarnata
Our last night on Sapelo Island, we had dinner at George and Lulu's - a local restaurant serving traditional Gullah/Geechee cuisine.
After this delicious send-off, we spend the next 1.5 days on the road, heading back to Houston, College Station, Galveston, or Corpus Christi. Thanks to the RLEM/MARB 689 students for a memorable trip!
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