QUICK & SANDY: Coastal dunes are unique & vulnerable habitats that are built up and stabilized by plants over time. Plants in this habitat can be considered ecosystem engineers in that they build, create, modify, & or destroy the habitats that they support. Dunes will build up over time with 4 things: (1) sand supply, (2) wind to move that sand, (3) space (i.e a wide enough beach to transport the sand to the back beach), & (4) an obstruction to catch windblown sand (i.e. plants or fencing, but ideally plants!). The shoots (AKA leaves) of plants like American Beachgrass catch windblown sand so that grains fall to their base & they become buried. However, the plants on dunes can tolerate burial & will grow up out of it, allowing the dune to get taller over time. The roots act like a net or web holding individual grains together & binding them to produce more stable aggregates (clumps of sand vs. individual grains) so the dune can withstand stress (i.e. wind & wave forcing) in the event of a storm. Without plants, you lose more sand to erosion in the event of a storm. The plants are also important because they offer habitat space for insects & small invertebrates like fox, rabbits, & birds, many of which are endemic (only found in a certain place) or endangered. Dunes are naturally equipped to handle sea level rise - during storms sand is deposited atop them so that they get taller & sand is deposited from the front to the back (of the habitat, of the barrier island, etc.) so that the dune is also moving further from the ocean thereby protecting itself from rising tides by giving itself more space from them; infrastructure like houses or established 'spots' where dunes are expected to only be (such as between the beach & a boardwalk) complicate this such that the dune cannot respond naturally. Only a handful of plants worldwide can inhabit the foredune ( the 1st dune mound & thus 1st line of defense during storms) because it is so stressful. The main stresses include low nutrients & water, temperature extremes, burial, root exposure, & sand blasting, conditions not unlike a desert, but with the addition of salt spray & storms. The plants are stressed out enough as it is, but do well regardless! When we do not keep off the dunes & trample plants the added stress is too much & we can kill them, thus leaving a spot on the dune that is no longer as well stabilized in case of a storm. Dunes respond to storms as a line or phalanx defense - if there is a weak link, then that is where water will course into the system altering it in ways that are natural, but we tend not because of our infrastructure. Do not create a weak spot in the dunes, keep off of them, admire them from afar, & help teach others as well!
There are lots of resources out there about dunes. Your local coastal state park likely has lots of info on dunes & all the other habitats that they manage on hand & available to you! If you live in a coastal town then your town or state likely has a dune planting guide such as this one for NJ. Below please find a fact sheet about dunes that I have put together for you to download & use as a resource, also two handy fliers to use or color in! I have a lot of other resources, so please feel free to reach out for more information! I am happy to come talk to your school as well! I strive to make myself & my research available to you!
Please use these resources which I have created & if you do then include my contact info so others can reach out & the source can be traced!
There are lots of resources out there about dunes. Your local coastal state park likely has lots of info on dunes & all the other habitats that they manage on hand & available to you! If you live in a coastal town then your town or state likely has a dune planting guide such as this one for NJ. Below please find a fact sheet about dunes that I have put together for you to download & use as a resource, also two handy fliers to use or color in! I have a lot of other resources, so please feel free to reach out for more information! I am happy to come talk to your school as well! I strive to make myself & my research available to you!
Please use these resources which I have created & if you do then include my contact info so others can reach out & the source can be traced!
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A fun and informative instructional video that will teach people of all ages how to properly plant dune grass! Coastal dunes are the first line of defense in the event of storms! You can help to improve the habitats of our beaches and dunes by engaging in beach grass planting efforts. Planting correctly is the first step and this video will give you the tools and knowledge you need to own your experience as you help us build a safer coast! D-P-F-N Dig-Plant-Firm-Name! Produced by Bianca Charbonneau @thedunegoon, created by Yoni Gottlieb, and funded by the Friends of Island Beach State Park.
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dunefunfacttrifold1.pdf | |
File Size: | 499 kb |
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Fun & Facts with Dunes Coloring Handout | |
File Size: | 699 kb |
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Facts on Beach Replenishment | |
File Size: | 324 kb |
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Flyer/Coloring Page: Dune Owl | |
File Size: | 126 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
Flyer/Coloring Page: Stop! Keep Off the Dunes | |
File Size: | 420 kb |
File Type: | jpg |
Flyer/Coloring Page: Don't Tread on Me | |
File Size: | 209 kb |
File Type: | png |
Let Dr. Dune Dog (AKA Zouli), the Indian
Jones of Dogs tell you fun & exciting weekly
science facts, discoveries, & research!
Appropriate for all ages!
@DrDuneDog
Jones of Dogs tell you fun & exciting weekly
science facts, discoveries, & research!
Appropriate for all ages!
@DrDuneDog