Social-ecological change in Buxton Woods

Maritime forests are late-successional ecosystems that establish in areas of barrier islands that are not frequently distributed. Now generally rare on the eastern seaboard, their growth patterns offer protection to the landform beneath and the human and natural communities with them in the highly dynamic setting of a barrier island. Buxton Woods, a maritime forest on Hatteras Island, is protected as a coastal reserve, but due to coastal and anthropogenic forces, likely these woods are changing. In conjunction with an assessment of environmental factors and vegetative communities, this Capstone course research will explore local residents' values and perceptions of the Buxton Woods Coastal Reserve.