Succession and sand dunes?

Question

Is this a good example of an ecological problem in terms of succession? Where could I find information about this?

Answer 1

That would be tough - the overriding thing about sand dunes is that they are an unstable environment. I assume, by the way, that you're looking at coastal (beach) dunes rather than desert dunes. I expect that there is a succession pattern in coastal dunes, but with all the interruptions (think hurricanes or coastal storms) at random intervals, it would be hard to have an a-b-c-d type of description. I suppose in theory you get something like dune to grassy dune to marsh to coastal scrubby woods, but in reality it's more like dune to grassy dune to open water to dune to marsh to dune to grassy dune, etc. As for information, try places like Brown University or other coastal schools.

Answer 2

Definitly use Cape Cod, Massachusetts as an example. The sand dunes their are endangered.