Record Northernmost Endemic Mangroves on the United States Atlantic Coast with a Note on Latitudinal Migration

Abstract

The northern limits of three mangrove species—Avicennia germinans (Black Mangrove), Rhizophora mangle (Red Mangrove), Laguncularia racemosa (White Mangrove)—on the United States Atlantic coast are vouchered and described in comparison to previous boundaries defined in literature and herbarium collections. The location and general status of individual trees were used to delineate northern maxima and show that present ranges extend beyond historic records. The gradient structure of the ecotone within an area of uniform climate is interpreted as ongoing latitudinal movement.