Pertinacious Inquisitor
Sand Dune System
Pictured here is a dune system along the coast of Oak Island, North Carolina. Sand dune systems are not typically exploited for any agricultural purpose and so are found often to provide favorable conditions for biodiversity. A unique combination of disturbed, stressful and stable habitats can be present in sand dunes in close proximity to each other. As a result, many of these habitats come to be protected as nature reserves, or are otherwise incorporated into a conservation area. The two prominent species pictured here are likely, Ammophila breviligulata, commonly known as “American Beachgrass,” and Uniola paniculata, commonly known as “sea oats.” These are among the most abundant of dune inhabiting species and play a crucial role in stabilizing foredune areas. They essentially serve as dune-building blocks, supporting sand dune formation along the coast, and in the context of human ecology, they function in a protective capacity by combating winds and waves that could prove intrusive to inland areas inhabited by humans. Shifting sand and high winds are conditions tolerated exceptionally well by American Beachgrass and Sea Oats. Additionally, theses species are particularly tolerant of salt spray from the ocean and adapted to live on little available fresh water. Due to the xeric environment they are able to thrive in, and overall temporal stability, these species, as well as others inhabiting sand dunes, tend to be r-selected.
coastalcare.org/educate/sand-dunes/
www.nps.gov/grsa/learn/nature/plants.htm
Dr. Stuart Borret, class notes and lecture material.
Sand Dune System
Pictured here is a dune system along the coast of Oak Island, North Carolina. Sand dune systems are not typically exploited for any agricultural purpose and so are found often to provide favorable conditions for biodiversity. A unique combination of disturbed, stressful and stable habitats can be present in sand dunes in close proximity to each other. As a result, many of these habitats come to be protected as nature reserves, or are otherwise incorporated into a conservation area. The two prominent species pictured here are likely, Ammophila breviligulata, commonly known as “American Beachgrass,” and Uniola paniculata, commonly known as “sea oats.” These are among the most abundant of dune inhabiting species and play a crucial role in stabilizing foredune areas. They essentially serve as dune-building blocks, supporting sand dune formation along the coast, and in the context of human ecology, they function in a protective capacity by combating winds and waves that could prove intrusive to inland areas inhabited by humans. Shifting sand and high winds are conditions tolerated exceptionally well by American Beachgrass and Sea Oats. Additionally, theses species are particularly tolerant of salt spray from the ocean and adapted to live on little available fresh water. Due to the xeric environment they are able to thrive in, and overall temporal stability, these species, as well as others inhabiting sand dunes, tend to be r-selected.
coastalcare.org/educate/sand-dunes/
www.nps.gov/grsa/learn/nature/plants.htm
Dr. Stuart Borret, class notes and lecture material.