Foredune

A foredune is a dune ridge that runs parallel to the shore of an ocean, lake, bay, or estuary.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service actively manages Humboldt Bay's Lanphere Dunes.

Northern California coastal dune environments are subject to high velocity winds at all times throughout the year.

Suspended grains are fine granules that can easily be picked up by wind and carried for variable distances.

Most visitors to coastal beach environments can attest to having sand blown in their face or leaving with a gritty feeling on their skin.

The vegetation analyzed at the Mad River County Beach showed an evolutionary change in the ecosystem as a result of several thriving invasive species.

As Ammophila arenaria attaches and begins to grow on a relatively flat dune system, wind currents that push sand inland it allows the plant to accumulate and mound massive amounts of sand creating large foredune ridges.

[8] This shift is supporting the invasion of but not limited to, Ammophila arenaria, Tanacetum vulgare (tansy) and Bromus diandrus (ripgut brome).

Since introduction of these invasive plants, scientists have recorded a severe displacement in native grasses and dune mat vegetation throughout California.

A characteristic of Ammophila arenaria and Bromus diandrus entering an ecosystem, are elevated levels of nitrogen within the soil [8] .

Unfortunately, the implementation of nitrogen into the soil, limits the growth and livelihood of other species such as Layia carnosa and Erysimum menziesii.

[5] Removal of Ammophila arenaria presents a daunting task for land managers and restoration teams.

[9] Characteristically, Ammophila arenaria invades the historically flat Californian foredunes transforming the ecology of the dune system.