Will continued revegetation in the dunes change the composition of the dunes (because of decaying organic material) and eventually result in soil that will support a different ecosystem?
Sand is sediment. When colonized by plants and animals, soil is created. Natural soils typically form in 50-500 years. Soils in the Transverse and Lobate Dunes are only poorly developed; they are 200-1,800 years old. Soils in the Parabolic Dunes are about 2,000 years old and have greater pedologic development. Rejuvenated dunes (from coastal changes or land-use changes) can re-start the clock. Artificial restoration efforts may accelerate the formation of soils in sand, but are presumably only successful where vegetation can compete with blowing sand, so these efforts probably only mimic natural processes.
Related Questions
- Will continued revegetation in the dunes change the composition of the dunes (because of decaying organic material) and eventually result in soil that will support a different ecosystem?
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