Threats to Dune Ecosystems
Many threats endanger the dune ecosystem, including invasive species and human interference. Small things we over look like staying on the trails can keep our park safe for generations to come. Here is a list of threats to the park and some solutions to them.
Invasive Plants
Spotted Knapweed
www.weeds.slco.org
The Spotted Knapweed competes for space on the Hind-dune and sometimes the For-dune, causing the native plants to lose the valuable and rare nutrients in those arias. Because the marram grass is such a bad competitor, it is loosing space quickly in the Hind-dune. Some solutions include herbicides and pulling out the plants where they can be found.
Garlic Mustard
www.nps.gov
Garlic Mustard grows in the forested back-dune. Garlic Mustard is considered by many to be the worst woodland weed in Michigan, because its two year life cycle and rapid spread makes it hard to remove. Much like other invasive plants, garlic mustard takes nutrients and useable space from the natives. While pulling the plant and herbicides can be an effective method to kill Garlic Mustard, a seed can stay alive in the soil for 10 years, so it must be repeated for years in one spot.
Baby's Breath
Steve Dewey, Utah State University
Baby's Breath over-stabilizes the dune while choking out the natural grasses, causing succession to stall. The succession of the dune is stalled when Baby's Breath moves in because the natural grasses that are native to the area can only grow when the sand is loose. Therefore, when the Baby's Breath over stabilizes the dune the Marram grass and other species can't grow. The sand also can't blow around as easily