> It is indeed lush. That coast has a very wide range of topography and
biological communities...
I grew up along the Lake Michigan coastline. It is a similar situation there
with the biodiversity just a dune away. Granted, maybe not as much
biodiversity as the northern California coast, but still pretty impressive.
Between the water's edge and the first dune-grass is a pretty inhospitable
place, but once you get past the storm beach it's much more than just
dune-grass. Once you get past the front dune there is often times a marsh
hidden between it and the second dune. There are places, like north of
Ludington, or west of Mackinaw, where there are multiple rows of dunes and
numerous marshes and ghost forests. The dunes move and they cover stuff up
and years later they reveal it again.
Speaking of forests, again, the biodiversity of the marshes and grasses
succombs to the hardwood forests. These have created a toe-hold in the sand
and the actual soil is only a few inches thick. But as the dunes are
rolling, you've got north, east, south and west facing slopes and they are
as steep as silica sand will pile. Within the forests, at the bottom of
these gullies are ponds.
When it comes to bugs, the open dunes are home to the black flies, but the
forests are home to the mosquitos.
AG
--
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/
|