Translations:Adventist Youth Honors Answer Book/Nature/Dunes/20/en
8. Give three examples of plants in dune environments. How are they adapted for survival?
Cottonwood Tree
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This tree has the ability to grow roots at any point of its buried trunk, grows rapidly from the top. It is very difficult to determine the true height of the tree(s) due to what is buried below the dune! Only the top might be exposed of a large, mature tree. Commonly found in Lake Michigan sand dune environments.
Shore Pine
Native to the western United States, this tree is often found in sandy environments and coastal sand dunes of the Pacific Ocean. This tree is most often found with strange forms, stunted growth and deformities all a result of unidirectional, strong winds. The shrub communities where this tree grows are usually 1-3 meters high, very quickly developing into Shore Pine forests.
Century Plant
Native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, this plant easily keeps up with the constant blowing and drifting of sand. They thrive on sandy slopes and dry, rocky environments. Their root system is a widespread, dense mass just below the surface as to absorb any moisture, also stabilize the terrain. This plant can grow 2 inches per day; the flowering stock can grow 1 foot per day. Some heights of mature plants range from 15 to 30 feet tall. They bloom just once in their lives; the pale yellow flowers are bat pollinated.
