| Revised
1/14/00
DICHOTOMOUS
KEY - BARRIER ISLAND ECOLOGY |
1a.
Organism is a plant………..…….………………………………………………..…
Go to 2.
1b. Organism is an animal……..……………...………….…………………………...
Go to 15.
2a. Plant
has a visible, woody trunk……………………..………………….………...
Go to 3.
2b. Not as above…………………….…………………………….………………………Go
to 8.
3a. Plant
has small, waxy green leaves, acorns often present, trunk and
branches often twisted......................................................................................................LIVE
OAK.
3b. Not as above………………………………………………………………………….Go
to 4.
4a. Plant
with evergreen leaves and small gray berries, very aromatic…….WAX
MYRTLE
4b. Not as above………………………………………………………………………….Go
to 5.
5a. Plant
is a fairly small tree with drooping lower branches, small bluish
berries, evergreen, often found growing in sandy soil.............................................................RED-CEDAR
5b. Not as above………………………………………………………………………….Go
to 6.
6a. Plant
is a shrub with small, serrated leaves and bright red poisonous
berries in the winter.........................................................................................…..YAUPON
HOLLY
6b. Not as above………………………………………………………………………….Go
to 7.
7a. Plant
with needle-like leaves, cones often present, often very tall
with no lower branches....................................................................................……..…SLASH
PINE
7b. Plant has large, fan-like leaves, straight unbranched trunk……CABBAGE
PALMETTO
8a. Plant
found in the salt marsh……………………………………………...………...Go
to 9.
8b. Not as above……………………………………………………….……………….…Go
to 11.
9a. Plant
an abundant grass that grows in the salt marsh………..…….…SPARTINA
grass
9b. Not as above……………………………………………………….………………….Go
to 10.
10a. Plant
growing in the high salt marsh that has small, fleshy segments
and a salty taste………………...................................................................................PICKLEWEED
10b. Plant growing in the salt marsh that has light green, fleshy
leaves that are slightly fuzzy, the flower looks similar to a sunflower…………………..…………..SEA
OXEYE DAISY
11a. Plant
with large, fan-like leaves with saw-tooth spines, grows in
clusters close to the
ground..............................................................................................SAW
PALMETTO
11b. Not as above…………………………………………………..…………………….Go
to 12.
12a. Plant
with large, fleshy pads covered in spines that grows in the dunes…................................................................................PRICKLY
PEAR CACTUS
12b. Not as above……………………………………………...…………………………Go
to 13.
13a. Plant
often seen hanging from trees, grayish in coloration………......SPANISH
MOSS
13b. Not as above………………………………………………...……………………….Go
to 14.
14a. Plant
often found in dunes, possesses long, sword-like leaves with a
sharp, needle-like point….........................................................................................SPANISH
BAYONET
14b. Plant is a long-stemmed grass with plumes of flat-cased seeds,
common in the dunes…………….................................................................................…….SEA
OATS
15a. Animal
with multiple pairs of legs, body covered in a hard exoskeleton……..Go
to 16.
15b. Not as above……………………………………………………..………………….Go
to 17.
16a. Animal
with four pairs of legs, one pair of pinchers, male with one very
large claw, female with two small claws, found on mud flats….....………………………FIDDLER
CRAB
16b. Animal with 4 pairs of legs, 1 pair of claws, lightly colored
body, burrows in dunes or soft sand, runs very fast, often seen
on the beach at night……...……………GHOST
CRAB
17a. Animal
is a snail……………………..……………………………………………..Go
to 18.
17b. Animal is not a snail……….....…………………………………………………...Go
to 19.
18a. Snail
has a light-colored shell, lives primarily on Spartina grass in
the marsh........................................................................................MARSH
PERIWINKLE
18b. Snail has a dark-colored shell, found on mud in marsh……………....…….MUD
SNAIL
19a. Animal
has a shell…………………………………………………………….……Go
to 20.
19b. Not as above……………………………………………………………..………….Go
to 21.
20a. Animal
with 2 shells hinged together, 1 inch or less in length, variously
colored, burrowing in intertidal zone…….……………………………………………….COQUINA
CLAM
20b. Animal with 2 shells hinged together, surface ribbed and
covered in a brown membrane, often found in marsh……..……………………………..................…………RIBBED
MUSSEL
21a. Animal
covered in scales, often found in fresh water, length up to 12
feet or more...................................................................………………AMERICAN
ALLIGATOR
21b. Animal covered in fur…………………………………………………………........Go
to 22.
22a. Animal
is a rodent with bushy tail, often seen feeding on acorns...E.
GREY SQUIRREL
22b. Not as above………………………………………………….....………………….Go
to 23.
23a. Animal
covered in grayish fur with a “bandit” mask, chiefly
nocturnal, often seen stealing food…….........................................................................................RACCOON
23b. Animal covered in light-tan fur, 4 legged with hooves, males
have antlers, young have white spots....................................................................................WHITETAIL
DEER
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