European Beachgrass (IMAGE)

Washington University in St. Louis

European Beachgrass

Caption

European beachgrass (Ammophila arenaria), seen encroaching in the background, was introduced in the mid-1800s to stabilize sand dune. (Ammophila means sand lover. And in fact the grass requires regular inputs of fresh sand to stay healthy, apparently because the sand lets it escape from soil pathogens.) In western North America, the grass completely alters the profile of the first rise of sand on the beach, turning a low, hummocky foredune into a steep, continuous ridge, a change that has severe repercussions for the entire native dune community.

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Eleanor Pardini/WUSTL

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