BORNE OF THE WIND

An introduction

to the ecology

of Michigan’s

sand dunes
To Dr. Warren Wagner, Jr., who inspired

many of us to become biologists and

inspired many more to love and value the

beautiful world of nature...

DEDICATION

...and to Wendy O’Neill, who spent her short

life inspiring those around her to acquire and

protect lands for conservation.

Dr. Warren H. Wagner, Jr.

Wendy O’Neill

 Susan Crispin

 Susan Crispin
Borne of the Wind:

An Introduction to the

Ecology of Michigan’s

Sand Dunes

GREAT LAKES COASTAL DUNES

The high sand dunes are

among the most rugged and

beautiful natural features

of the Lake Michigan and

Lake Superior shorelines.

Great Lakes dunes comprise

the most extensive freshwater dunes in the world,

so vast that they are visible

to astronauts from outer

space. In terms of the

plants and animals, the

coastal dunes are also rich,

supporting more endemic

species than any other

Great Lakes ecosystem.

Some of the earliest European explorers and settlers in

Michigan commented on the

rugged character of the

dunes. Bela Hubbard, a

member of the 1840 survey

of the Grand Sable dunes,

described them as “a

miniature Sahara.” Many of

Michigan’s most visited

state parks and national

lakeshores showcase these

thrilling natural features.

Michigan contains more

dunes than any other Great

Lakes state, however,

significant coastal dunes are

also found along the

shorelines of all Great Lakes

states, and on the Ontario

shoreline as well.

The high coastal dunes

familiar to many Michigan

residents are not the only

kind of dunes. In fact, other

types of dunes may be found

along the shoreline as well

as in the interior of the state.

Here we discuss some of

the more common dune

types and their significance

to a wide variety of plants

and animals.

i
Great Lakes Coastal Dunes ......................................................................... i

Dune Formation and Types ........................................................................ 1

Sand Source ......................................................................................................................................................... 2

Wind ............................................................................................................................................................................ 4

Water Level Fluctuation.......................................................................................................................... 5

Vegetation .............................................................................................................................................................. 6

Major Dune Types ...................................................................................... 8

Parabolic Dunes............................................................................................................................................... 9

Perched Dunes ............................................................................................................................................... 10

Linear Dunes ................................................................................................................................................... 12

Transverse Dunes........................................................................................................................................ 14

Zonation of Parabolic Dunes ................................................................... 16

Beach ....................................................................................................................................................................... 17

Foredune ............................................................................................................................................................... 19

Backdune Forests........................................................................................................................................ 23

Blowouts .............................................................................................................................................................. 28

Interdunal Swales and Wetlands ................................................................................................. 30

Zonation of Perched Dunes ..................................................................... 32

Eroding Bluff .................................................................................................................................................. 34

Zonation of Dune and Swale Complexes................................................................................. 35

Beach and Foredune ................................................................................................................................ 36

Open Interdunal Swales....................................................................................................................... 37

Forested Dune Ridges............................................................................................................................ 39

Forested Swales............................................................................................................................................ 40

Zonation of Transverse Dunes............................................................................................................. 41

Dune Forests .................................................................................................................................................... 42

Peatlands and Open Conifer Swamps ................................................................................... 43

Dune Threats .......................................................................................................................................................... 45

Exotic Plants and Animals ................................................................................................................ 46

ORVs and Recreational Overuse ................................................................................................ 48

Residential Development.................................................................................................................... 50

Other Types of Sand Dune Development .......................................................................... 52

Sand Dune Regulations............................................................................................................................... 53

Dune Sites in Public Ownership or Private Nature Preserves

Lower Peninsula ................................................................................... 54

Upper Peninsula ........................................................................................................................................... 56

Referenced Species ......................................................................................................................................... 58

Exotic Plants Table .......................................................................................................................................... 59

Rare Plants and Animals/Natural Communities ............................................................... 60

Recommended Dune Literature ......................................................................................................... 62

Selected Scientific References ............................................................................................................ 62

Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................... 63

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ii
Important factors have been identified as critical for the

creation of sand dunes, including:

• a source of abundant sand

• relatively consistent wind

• water level fluctuation

• vegetation to foster sand accumulation

1

Dune Formation

and Types

Dennis Albert
The most basic factor

in dune formation

is the presence of

abundant sand.

which is why many of our

dune complexes are located

at the mouths of large rivers

like the Grand, Kalamazoo,

Muskegon, and Pere

Marquette. High coastal

bluffs, which are continually

being eroded by winds and

SAND SOURCE

2

Within the Great Lakes

basin, continental glaciers

covered the landscape for

over one million years,

providing the major source

for sand and other sediments.

Meltwater streams flowing

from the glaciers’ flanks

carried tremendous volumes

of sand and gravel that settled

along extensive sandy plains

or in narrow stream channels.

Another source of sand was

glacial till, a mixture of sand,

silt, and clay that was

deposited along the margins

of the glaciers or dropped as

the glacial ice slowly melted.

Not only did the glaciers

provide sediments rich in

sand, they also scoured out

the broad, deep basins that

the Great Lakes now occupy.

These glacial sediments are

concentrated in two sources

that provide sand for coastal

dunes: rivers and coastal

bluffs. Large volumes of sand

are carried into the Great

Lakes by river systems,

waves, are another important

sediment source, as seen at

Sleeping Bear Dunes

National Lakeshore, along

northern Lake Michigan, or

at Grand Sable Dunes along

the south shore of Lake

Superior. These sediments are

Coastal bluffs, a major source of sand for dune formation. Grand Sable Dunes.

The Big Sable River carried sand that became the Nordhouse Dunes.

Susan Crispin Earl Wolf
moved along the shoreline by

offshore currents and

eventually get redeposited

along the shoreline to form

sand beaches or foredunes.

When conditions are right,

these sands can be carried

inland by strong winds to

form interior dunes.

While water deposits

particles on the beach that

range in size from pebbles to

very fine sands, wind-formed

dunes consist largely of

medium and fine sands.

Large volumes of medium

and fine sands bounce along

within a meter of the ground,

in a process called saltation

(see diagram at right).

Saltation is responsible for

most sand movement on the

dunes. Coarse sand is too

large to be readily moved by

the wind, and its movement

consists of short distance

“surface creep” resulting

from collisions with moving

fine and medium sand

particles. Finer silt and clay

sized particles are carried in

suspension far beyond the

coastal dunes.

Beach or dune sand consists

largely of quartz (87-94%),

with lesser amounts of

feldspar (10-18%), magnetite

(1-3%), and traces of other

minerals such as calcite,

garnet, and hornblende. Sand

particles are rounded and

frosted by continuous

collisions with other sand

grains. Quartz grains range

from very coarse to very fine

sands. In contrast, magnetite,

which is twice as heavy as

quartz, consists primarily of

fine and very fine sand

grains, although larger

particles can be found. As a

result of this size and density

difference, gently moving

water or light winds cause the

heavier, smaller magnetite to

settle out into dark bands

overlain by lighter, larger

quartz. Gentle summer winds

accelerate the separation of

magnetite from quartz, but

the sorting is quickly undone

3

by fall and winter storm

winds and waves.

Moving sand is very abrasive,

as demonstrated by

ventifacts, stones that have

flattened facets polished

smooth by the sand. Similarly, the colorful label of a

soda can left on the dune is

soon sandblasted to a dull

gray. An interesting, rare

phenomenon in the dunes

is the fusion of sand grains

by lightning strikes,

forming fragile tubes

called fulgerites.

Beach sand (enlarged).

Wind-formed patterns on the dunes. The dark sand is magnetite. David Wisse

Dennis Albert
Strong winds blowing

in a relatively consistent

direction are a second

factor critical for

dune formation.

scale, sand movement and

dune formation are greatest

from late autumn through

early spring, when prevailing

winds are strongest and

leaves are absent from

deciduous shrubs and trees

growing on the dunes. Ice

accumulation along the

shoreline, called an ice foot,

can reduce the amount of

4

For the Great Lakes,

prevailing winds are typically

from the southwest. As a

result, the greatest concentration of large dunes is along

the eastern and northern

shorelines of Lake Michigan,

with the largest dunes along

the eastern shoreline. Dune

formation is a dynamic and

cyclic process. On an annual

WIND

wave erosion of the beach

during the winter. During

cold years when a large

ice foot forms and remains

in place throughout much

of the winter, there is reduced sand movement

and dune formation.

Wind-blown sand on snow.

Ice foot along Lake Michigan shoreline.

David Ewert Donald Petersen
WATER-LEVEL FLUCTUATION

5

Several recent studies

indicate that water-level

fluctuations influence

dune formation, with

dune growth accelerated

by high water levels.

Dune formation appears to be

linked to high water levels in

the Great Lakes, when waves

and storms erode away

greater amounts of sandy

sediments than when water

levels are low. Relatively

high water levels result in

destabilization of the dunes,

with increased sand movement and burial of forests.

Thus, when researchers or

sand miners dig deep into a

dune, they often encounter

several buried forests, one on

top of another, separated by

One such period of

intense dune growth was the

Nipissing period, occurring

about 4000 to 6000 years

ago, when Great Lake water

levels were considerably

higher than today. During this

period, the Grand Sable

dunes on Lake Superior and

the Nordhouse Dunes along

northern Lake Michigan were

formed. It was once thought

that all of the dunes along the

eastern shore of Lake

Michigan were formed

during Nipissing time, but

recent studies have shown

that some of the Lake

Michigan dune complexes,

such as those near Muskegon

and Grand Haven, have

formed as recently as 3000

years ago, during later highwater periods. If we look at

dune formation over a period

of several thousand years, we

see that there were periods of

intense dune formation,

followed by periods of

reduced dune activity.

dune sands. These forests

established and grew during

low water periods of the

Great Lakes, and were

then buried and killed

during a subsequent period

of high water, when the

dunes destabilized and

began to move. Great Lakes

water levels vary cyclically,

with minor cycles of five to

ten years, and more major

cycles of thirty to several

hundred years.

Broad beach exposed during low Great Lakes water levels.

Northern white-cedars buried by sand. Wave erosion of foredune during high water levels.

Dennis Albert Donald Petersen

Dennis Albert
A final factor,

vegetation, traps

and stabilizes sand.

Without periodic entrapment, sands cannot accumulate vertically to create high

coastal dunes. Most plants

are not adapted to the

constant burial and abrasion

that characterizes the

dune environment.

VEGETATION

6

Narrow spikes of marram grass (Ammophila breviligulata) and broad spikes of sand

reed grass (Calamovilfa longifolia) colonize open sand.

Buried cottonwood (Populus deltoides) produces abundant root suckers.

Donald Petersen Susan Crispin
Marram grass (Ammophila

breviligulata), typically the

first species to establish on

the bare dune sands, is one of

the species most adapted to

survival on the dunes. Not

only can marram grass

tolerate being buried by sand,

studies have shown that it

requires burial for optimal

growth. When the wind

encounters marram grass or

other dune vegetation, its

velocity is reduced, causing

sand to accumulate. As dune

sands bury the marram grass,

it continues to form new

growth above the sand, while

its roots and rhizomes

continue to grow and

stabilize the sands.

Most of the common herbs,

shrubs, and trees of the dunes

are tolerant of sand burial.

Grasses most tolerant of sand

burial include marram grass,

sand reed, and little bluestem.

Shrubs tolerant of burial

include red osier dogwood

and sand cherry. In southern

Michigan, cottonwood shows

considerable tolerance to

sand burial, as does balsam

poplar further to the north.

When buried, both cottonwood and balsam poplar

produce root suckers from

buried stems, resulting in

clumps of small trees on the

partially stabilized dune.

Roots form just below the

sand surface, where moisture

is most available.

As vegetation of the dunes is

stabilized, herb and shrub

diversity increases and

forests eventually establish.

With the establishment of a

forest canopy, dune pioneering plants like marram grass

and sand cherry rapidly

disappear and are replaced by

plants more tolerant of the

reduced light conditions in

the forest understory.

7

Marram grasses slows the wind, causing sand to accumulate.

Little bluestem

(Schizachyrium scoparius).

Donald Petersen Dennis Albert
Classification and Distribution of Major Dune Types

There are four distinctive types of dunes encountered in

Michigan: parabolic, perched, linear, and transverse. The

first three dune types are commonly associated with the

present Great Lakes shoreline, while transverse dunes are

more often associated with large bays of Glacial Lake

Algonquin, from about 11,000 years ago. Linear dunes have

also been called dune-and-swale complexes. Several classifications of sand dunes identify several more categories than the

four listed here. Some of these studies are listed at the end of

this publication for further reference.

While the shape of each dune type differs, the general crosssection of all dune types has similarity. The slope on the

windward face of a dune is gentle, usually not over 15

degrees. In contrast, the slope of the back or lee side of the

dune is much steeper, sometimes approaching the “angle of

repose” of dry sand. The lee slope is steep enough that

climbing it can be exhausting and typically results in considerable erosion of the slope.

8

Major Dune Types
Parabolic dunes, defined

by their distinctive

U-shape, are found only

in moist environments,

where extensive

vegetation cover often

stabilizes the dunes.

PARABOLIC DUNES

9

Parabolic dunes occur in

several large complexes

along the eastern Lake

Michigan shoreline. In the

Lake Michigan basin, the

sand source for the parabolic

dunes is broad sand terraces

that formed along the lake

margins 11,000 to 13,000

years ago. Parabolic dunes

probably formed when the

forested sand terraces were

destabilized during high lake

levels, resulting in the

formation of U-shaped

blowouts. Dune destabilization occurred at intervals

several hundred or thousand

years apart, when lake levels

were high. Strong winds

result in migration of the

dunes inland, while marram

grass and other vegetation

cause the sand to accumulate

vertically. The end result is

the formation of parabolic

dunes 250 to 300 feet high.

Parabolic dune at Hoffmaster State Park extends into the surrounding forest.

R. Torresen

PRIMARY WIND DIRECTION
PERCHED DUNES

These dunes are perched

atop glacial moraines

that have bluffs 90

to 360 feet above the

present lake level.

10

Perched dunes are restricted to the northeastern

shore of Lake Michigan and

to Lake Superior. They are

nourished largely by sand

blowing off bluff faces,

rather than sand from the

beach. Perched dunes

themselves are often much

smaller features than the

bluffs upon which they rest.

Foredunes, perched along the

upper edge of bluffs, are

quite dynamic. Among the

most famous perched dunes

are Grand Sable on Lake

Superior and Sleeping Bear

dunes on northeastern

Lake Michigan.

Grand Sable Dunes, perched dunes along Lake Superior.

Susan Crispin
The sediments of bluff faces

are quite variable. Clay

banding can result in moist

seepages on the bluffs.

Strong winds remove clay,

silt, and sand, leaving

pebbles and cobbles, called a

lag zone, either on the face

of the bluffs or along the

upper edge. Along the

lakeshore, the beach is often

quite narrow.

11

A lag zone of pebbles and cobbles along the bluff-top at Grand Sable Dunes.

Sleeping Bear Dunes, perched dunes along Lake Michigan.

Susan Crispin

Gary Reese
LINEAR DUNES

Large complexes of

linear dunes form the

shoreline along numerous Great Lake bays.

5000 years ago. Since this

time, Great Lakes water

levels have been gradually

dropping over the long-term.

The water levels also have

an irregular short-term cycle

of lows and highs. As the

water level drops, a new

beach ridge (foredune)

forms along the lakeshore,

usually separated from the

previously formed ridge by a

swale. The largest beach

ridges in a dune and swale

complex record periods of

high water level. When the

water level rises high

enough, beach ridges and

swales formed at lower

water levels will be destroyed, leaving no record of

their short existence.

The large dune and swale

complex at Indiana Dunes

National Lakeshore on Lake

Michigan in Indiana, contains

upwards of 150 dune ridges,

forming a four-mile wide

complex that was deposited

over roughly 4000 years.

Along northern Lake Michigan, at Michigan’s Wilderness

State Park, a two-mile-wide

complex of 108 ridges was

created over a similar time

period. Unlike the parabolic

dune complexes, most dune

ridges in the dune and swale

complexes are low features,

generally less than 15 feet in

height. However, within

many dune and swale

complexes, there are periods

when water levels were high

12

These complexes consist of

a series of roughly parallel

dunes that form as the water

level of the Great Lakes

gradually drops. There have

been several names applied to

these complexes of low dune

ridges, including linear

dunes, dune and swale

complex, wooded dune and

swale complex, shore-parallel

dune ridges, and beach-ridge

complex. We use the terms

linear dune and dune

and swale complex in

this publication.

Several recent studies have

been conducted on Lake

Michigan’s dune and swale

complexes, analyzing the

geological form and function,

history of lake-level fluctuation, and changes in vegetation over time (succession).

The lake-level studies

document that most of these

broad complexes date from

the Nipissing Phase of the

Great Lakes, about 4000 to

Aerial photograph of a dune and swale complex along northern Lake Michigan.

Ted Cline (Photair, Inc.)
enough to destabilize the

small dunes, forming small

groups of parabolic dunes

within the larger parallel

dune and swale complex.

Along the shoreline, plant

communities are similar to

those found on the beach and

foredune of parabolic dunes.

Within 2 or 3 low dune ridges

from the shore, forests have

typically established. Usually

only the first or second

swales along the Great Lake

are flooded and dominated by

marsh vegetation. Farther

inland, most swales are drier

and support shrub swamp or

treed swamp. This may be

due to water level drops,

rebound of the land following

melting of the mile-thick

glacial ice (called isostatic

rebound), or a combination of

both factors. Along Lake

Superior, where this rebound

is greatest, swales are quite

dry, often supporting jack

pine or red pine forests.

13

Red pine and white pine grow on the dunes surrounding a shallow, open swale near Gulliver on northern Lake Michigan.

Dennis Albert
TRANSVERSE DUNES

In the Upper Peninsula

of Michigan, large

abandoned bays of

glacial Great Lake

Algonquin from

approximately 11,000

years ago contain

transverse dunes

and an occasional

parabolic dune.

Transverse dunes, linear to

scalloped in shape, are

believed to have formed in

shallow bays along the edge

of the glaciers. Sand carried

by glacial meltwater streams

was abundant along the

margins of the bays. Strong

winds blew off the glaciers,

forming this sand into a

series of long, linear dunes,

all oriented roughly perpendicular to the wind. The

dunes have steep south faces,

indicating that the winds

were from the north. They are

30 or 60 feet high and are

surrounded by shallow

peatlands. Many of the

Algonquin-aged bays were

large, greater than 5 miles

across, and contain several

dozen dunes. Similar

complexes of transverse

dunes are also known from

portions of northern Europe.

Some scientists still debate

the origin of these sand

ridges, thinking that these

dune features are actually

sandspits that formed in

shallow water. Within

the dune complexes

there are also localized

parabolic dunes.

14

Trans

Ogon
15

For several thousand years

after the glaciers retreated,

the climatic conditions were

dry enough that pine forests

grew on the flat sands of the

dried-up bays, but about three

to four thousand years ago,

the climate became cooler

and moister, allowing

wetland plants to expand

across the bays, replacing

pines with aquatic sedges

and sphagnum mosses and

creating peatlands that now

have thin peat deposits,

2 to 3 feet thick. Small transverse dunes within a vast peatland in northern Luce County.

Dennis Albert

sverse Dunes,

ntz Bay, Delta County.

TRANSVERSE DUNES ON A GLACIAL LAKE PLAIN, LUCE CO.
Piping plover (Charadrius melodus) nesting on a gravel beach.

Photo courtesy of Michigan Natural Features Inventory

All dune features have distinct zones determined largely by

the physical processes of dune formation: transport of sand

along the shore by waves and currents, followed by wind

transport of sand to create dune features. The characteristic

zones of parabolic dunes are the beach, foredune, interdunal

wetland or trough, and the backdune, each with its distinctive physical character and biota. The sharp physical contrasts

between these zones, combined with the dynamic nature of the

coastal environment, has led the dunes to be a focus of many

studies of vegetation change over time (called succession),

with the classic ecological studies of Henry Chandler Cowles

in the 1890s and J. Olson in the 1950s among the best known.

Pioneer herbaceous plant species establish on the bare sand of

the beach and foredune, and are gradually replaced by shrubs

and trees as soil moisture and nutrient conditions improve on

the backdune over time.

16

Zonation of

Parabolic Dunes

Marram grass stabilizes a low foredune behind a sand beach. Hoffmaster State Park.

Earl Wolf
Many animals visit the beach

to feed. Shorebirds, including

gulls, sanderlings, sandpipers, and plovers, feed on

drowned insects and dead

fish along the beach, especially during spring and fall

migrations. Caspian terns,

nesting in protected areas

along the shoreline, can be

seen diving for fish near the

shore. Storm waves move

debris, aquatic-plant remains,

dead insects and fish, and

driftwood far up the beach,

creating a zone called the

storm beach, where flies,

tiger beetles, and other

insects can often be found in

great numbers feeding.

The beach is the most

dynamic zone, where

wind, waves, and coastal

currents create an ever

changing environment.

Daily and seasonal

extremes occur in moisture

conditions, substrate, and

temperature. Wind velocity is

highest at the shoreline, as is

the frequency of flooding and

the wave energy. Because of

these extremes, few plants

and animals are adapted to

live on the beach. Scattered

plants of sea rocket, an

annual, are found growing

near the water’s edge. Any

plant that establishes on the

beach during the summer is

likely to be torn from the

shifting sand by powerful

winter storm waves, giving

annual plants a strong

advantage over more longlived perennials.

BEACH

17

Tiger beetle (Cicindela scutellaris).

Sea rocket (Cakile edentula).

Beach pea (Lathyrus japonicus).

Earl Wolf Earl Wolf Powell Cottrille
Occasionally groups of

butterflies, like the white

admiral, can be seen puddling

(another term for drinking)

near the shoreline, where

evaporation causes minerals

to concentrate in the moist

sand. Minerals are lost by

butterflies during breeding

and the moist beach sands

provide the butterflies with a

nutrient-rich moisture source.

Many species of tiger beetle

are found along sand beaches

of the coastal dunes. During

migration, thousands of

ladybird beetles can be found

clustered together on debris

along the shoreline. These are

but a small sample of the

insects that use the beach.

Further up on the beach,

where storm waves seldom

reach during the summer

months, plants tolerant of the

strong winds and extreme

temperatures can establish.

These include sea rocket,

beach pea, bugseed, and

seaside spurge, most of

which are annuals adapted to

a harsh, changing environment. Digger wasps are also

found in this zone.

18

Where the back beach has

abundant pebbles, piping

plover, a federally endangered shorebird, creates a

nest of pebbles to raise its

young. Piping plover was

once common along Great

Lakes beaches, with 30

nesting pairs once counted

along two miles of southern

Lake Michigan beach.

Market hunting in the late

1800s greatly reduced its

populations, but more

recently it has again been

threatened by increased

human development along

the shoreline. Raccoons

and unleashed dogs both

destroy plover eggs and kill

juvenile birds.

White admirals (Limenitis arthemis) and tiger swallowtails (Papilio glaucus) puddling on beach.

Powell Cottrille
FOREDUNE

The foredune is the zone

where pioneering grasses

cause sand to begin

accumulating.

19

It can consist of a distinctive, low dune feature, or

merely a low landward

continuation of the beach.

The most important pioneering grass on the foredune is

marram grass, which is

among the plants most

adapted to sand burial. Each

spring, it sends a thick

rhizome toward the surface

of the windblown sand before

its stiff leaves begin to

elongate. Its dense fine roots

trap sand particles, helping to

stabilize the blowing sand.

Sand reed, another dune grass

that stabilizes dunes, typically establishes after marram

grass has arrived. Among the

other plants that tolerate sand

burial are several shrubs,

including sand cherry, red

osier dogwood, bearberry,

dune willows, and creeping

juniper. Not only must plants

of the foredune tolerate

periodic burial, they must

also survive extreme temperatures, low moisture

levels, and low levels of

nutrients. Some of the

herbaceous plants adapted to

these conditions are hairy

puccoon, beach pea, wormwood, harebell, and common

milkweed.

Plants found growing only on

the beach or foredune depend

on the extreme conditions for

their survival. Two of these

are Pitcher’s thistle and Lake

Huron tansy. Without the

open, blowing sands, these

Great Lakes endemic plants

would be unable to compete

with other plants. Probably

their greatest threat is the

establishment of exotic (nonPitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri).

Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia).

Marram grass (Ammophila breviligulata).

Earl Wolf Susan Crispin Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy.
20

native) plants that effectively

stabilize the dune sand.

During the summer, temperatures at the sand surface

regularly reach 120° F (50°

C), locally reaching 180° F

(80° C). Such extremes cause

many of this zone’s inhabitants, such as Fowler’s toad,

the eastern hognose snake,

spider wasps (also called

digger wasps), sand spiders,

burrowing spiders, and wolf

spiders to burrow during the

day to reach cooler temperatures. When temperatures are

extreme, they are active at

the surface only during

cooler morning, evening,

and nighttime hours. The

antlion is another insect that

spends its life under the

sand, waiting for ants and

other small insects to slip

into its unstable funnelshaped sand trap.

The harmless eastern

hognose snake is one of the

most intriguing residents of

the dunes. When surprised,

the hognose snake rises up

defiantly, flattening its head

into a cobra-like hood and

hissing loudly. If this

threatening posture fails, it

will writhe, convulse, and

finally turn over on its back

and feign death, only to flip

over again and continue on

its way once danger has

passed. Toads are a favorite

food of the hognose snake.

Another large and extremely

fast snake occasionally

sighted sunning itself on the

dunes or in low shrubs, is the

blue racer.

A rare insect of the foredune

is the Lake Huron locust.

This locust exposes its

yellow wings and clicks

distinctively during flight,

Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium pitcheri).

Antlions (Family Myrmeleontidae) are

typically hidden beneath the sand.

Hairy puccoon (Lithospermum caroliniense). Wolf spider (Family Lycosidae). Sand cherry (Prunus pumila). Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy. Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy. Earl Wolf

Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy.

David Wisse
dune cutworm, whose larvae

feed on dune grasses. Song

sparrow, vesper sparrow,

field sparrow, and the eastern

bluebird forage on insects of

the foredune, as do eastern

kingbird and chipping

sparrows when scattered trees

are present. Prairie warbler, a

rare breeding bird in Michigan, is known to nest among

21

providing means of easily

recognizing an otherwise

indistinctive insect. The

locust feeds on wormwood, a

common plant on the dunes.

Wormwood is also the host

for a rare plant of the dunes,

clustered broom rape, which

is partially parasitic on

wormwood. A rare moth

found only on the foredune is

Red anemone (Anemone multifida). Lake Huron tansy (Tanacetum huronense). Sterile rosette of Pitcher’s thistle (Cirsium

pitcheri).

Eastern hognose snake

(Heterodon platirhinos).

Eastern hognose snake (Heterodon platirhinos).

Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy. Earl Wolf Earl Wolf

Ken Jacobsen

Gary Reese
the shrubs on and in the lee

of the foredune, as far north

as Sleeping Bear Dunes

along Lake Michigan and

Rogers City on Lake Huron.

Colonies of bank sparrows

nest in the low, steep cliff

face of the foredune, formed

by erosion during winter

storms, and both bank

swallows and tree swallows

are often seen feasting on

the abundant flying insects

of the dunes.

The foredune is continually

being buried by sand or

eroded by strong winds. It is

colonized by the beach

grasses, along with other

herbs and shrubs tolerant of

sand burial, but its environment is typically too extreme

for the successful establishment of most tree species. A

few eastern cottonwoods,

22

balsam poplar, and oaks can

be found on the most

protected portions of the

foredune. All of these trees,

especially the eastern

cottonwood and balsam

poplar, tolerate burial by

sand, but the strong

winds and occasional burial

result in short stature and

poor growth.

Dune cutworm (Euxoa aurulenta).

Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). Spider wasp (Pompilidae).

Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi). Fowler’s toad (Bufo fowleri). Ground juniper (Juniperus horizontalis).

David Cuthrell

Earl Wolf

David Cuthrell

Earl Wolf

Earl Wolf

Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy.
BACKDUNE FORESTS

Eventually dune grasses,

herbs, and shrubs

stabilize the sand and

larger dunes form behind

the foredune, protected

from some of the force of

the wind.

During high water

periods, dunes continue to

grow vertically as they move

inland. Behind the protective

foredune, winds are lighter

and sand accumulation is

slower, allowing trees to

establish and form forests.

On the wind-exposed dunes

closest to the shoreline, oaks,

bigtooth aspen, and sassafras

grow on the dry, nutrient

poor sand. Dark, irregular

crowns of white pine reach

through this open forest of

deciduous hardwoods. This

remains a harsh environment,

where storms regularly

uproot trees and large

amounts of sand can be

deposited, especially during

the fall and winter.

Large numbers of monarch

butterflies can be seen along

the coast during spring and

fall migrations. While they

are most often seen flying on

the open foredune, large

clusters of monarchs seek

thermal protection on the

branches of an oak or

cottonwood within the open

dune forest, where they can

sometimes be seen in the

23

evening or early morning.

Monarch butterflies are not

alone in their use of the

shoreline as a migration

corridor. Other migrants

include songbirds, hawks,

nighthawks, and owls.

Many species of raptor

take advantage of the

strong coastal winds during

their migration. It is not

uncommon to see hundreds

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) congregated on a black oak along the edge of the dune forest.

Sand deposited during the winter on the lee side of a parabolic dune.

Photo courtesy of Michigan State Parks. Donald Petersen
of broad-winged hawks

gliding from one warm air

thermal to another, saving

energy during their long

migrations to and from

South America.

Open stands of jack pine,

sometimes referred to as

Great Lakes barrens, occur

commonly on the exposed,

windward slopes of many

dunes. Jack pine and

common juniper tolerate the

droughty conditions, as do

bearberry, creeping juniper,

and other shrubs. It is not

uncommon to see jack pine

growing in the shallow water

of the interdunal swales,

where it likely established

during much drier conditions.

In contrast to the exposed

windward slopes, wind

velocity is much reduced on

the landward (lee)side of the

dunes. Forest trees are

protected from severe storm

winds and extreme levels of

sand deposition. Over

hundreds of years, organic

material accumulates on the

forest floor, increasing the

amount of available moisture

and nutrients, allowing mesic

forest species like sugar

maple, American beech,

basswood, and red oak to

establish. Eastern hemlock

forms dense stands in many

of the most sheltered, steep

coves between dunes, where

there is shelter from strong

winds and the dense forest

24

Common trillium (Trillium grandiflorum) in the backdune forest.

Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina). Hepatica (Hepatica americana). Earl Wolf

Earl Wolf Earl Wolf
canopy reduces the summer

heat and moisture loss.

But even in this sheltered

environment, fine and very

fine sand are blown far inland

by strong winter winds and

deposited as a film on the

snow. These fine sand

particles, which appear to

contain a greater amount of

nutrient-rich calcite and

feldspar than typical dune

sand, may add both nutrients

and moisture retaining

capacity to the forests behind

the high parabolic dunes.

The rich forest floor supports

a diversity of spring wild

flowers, including common

and nodding trilliums, jackin-the-pulpit, squirrel corn,

yellow violet, bunchberry,

spring beauty, hepatica,

Solomon’s seal, and bishop’s

cap. Still many more wild

flower species grow in the

backdune forest. In the

backdune forests along

southern Lake Michigan,

southern species such as

prairie trillium are found

growing at the northern edge

of their range. Most southern

species are not found north of

Muskegon, where a more

northern flora appears.

Animal diversity is also high

in the backdune forest. Forest

songbirds are abundant and

25

Star flower (Trientalis borealis). Wood thrush (Hylocichla mustelina). Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum).

Dutchman’s-breeches (Dicentra cucullaria).

Donald Petersen

Jeff Dykehouse.

Betty Cottrille

Earl Wolf
include black-throated green

warbler, black- and-white

warbler, scarlet tanager,

wood thrush, ovenbird,

eastern wood pewee, rosebreasted grosbeak, veery,

American redstart, yellowbilled cuckoo, black-billed

cuckoo, and red-eyed vireo.

This abundance of songbirds

attracts many raptors, such as

sharp-shinned, red-shouldered, and Cooper’s hawks.

The eastern box turtle can

also be encountered ambling

26

Solomon’s seal

(Polygonum pubescens). Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis). Prairie phlox (Phlox pilosa).

Blue-spotted salamander (Ambystoma laterale).

Canada anemone

(Anemone canadensis). Trout-lily (Erythronium americanum). Squirrel-corn (Dicentra canadensis). Earl Wolf

Earl Wolf

Photo courtesy of Michigan State Parks Earl Wolf

Earl Wolf

Earl Wolf Donald Petersen
on the forest floor, and

careful investigation beneath

logs and leaves will sometimes uncover the delicate

red-backed salamander.

The casual visitor seldom

encounters more than a few

red-backed salamanders

during a visit, but this

small salamander may be

more important to the forest

than many realize. Studies

have shown that from

200 to 3600 salamanders

can live in an acre of forest.

The salamander feeds on

a broad range of insects

and soil organisms, as well

as being eaten by birds,

turtles, and small mammals

of the forest. The black rat

snake is also a localized

inhabitant of the mesic

backdune forest along

southern Lake Michigan.

While the backdune forest is

the most protected habitat on

the dunes, it can also undergo

dynamic change. Its location

along the shoreline results in

exposure to infrequent, but

extreme storm events. Such

coastal storms during the

spring of 1998 destroyed

backdune forests at

Hoffmaster State Park and

Wilderness State Park in

Michigan. Long-term studies

have been initiated to learn

more about the successional

changes to the forest resulting

from these storms.

27

Red-backed salamander

(Plethodon cinereus). Bishop’s cap (Mitella diphylla). Rue anemone(Anemonella thallictroides).

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). May-apple (Podophyllum peltatum). Spring-beauty (Claytonia virginica).

 Earl Wolf Earl Wolf

 Earl Wolf Earl Wolf

Earl Wolf Earl Wolf
BLOWOUTS

Blowouts are U-shaped

areas of open, migrating

sand that occur on dunes

otherwise stabilized by

forest vegetation.

28

Blowout in parabolic dunes, Hoffmaster State Park.

R. Torresen
29

Studies show that there

have been several periods

during the last 4,000 years

when environmental

conditions resulted in

extensive blowouts within

the dunes. These periods

are closely linked with

Great Lake high-water levels.

Dune grasses partially

stabilize the blowouts

resulting in vertical

accumulation of sand within

the blowout. As the sand

migrates inland, it buries

and kills the forest. Sand

migration is greatest during

the fall and winter months,

when vegetation cannot

effectively reduce the wind

velocity. Most of the plants

and animals characteristic

of foredunes are also found

on blowouts.

Pitcher’s thistle can be found

growing throughout the bowl

of a blowout and is often

quite abundant near the

upper, landward edge, where

there is abundant open sand.

Lake Huron locust can be

abundant here as well.

Poison ivy can be especially

troublesome along the lee

edge of the blowouts,

where it sometimes forms

a formidable, waist-high

wall between the forest and

the blowout.

Learn to recognize the three part leaf of poison-ivy (Toxicodendron radicans).

Earl Wolf
Small ponds are common

between the foredune and

the backdune in many

dune complexes.

sphagnum mosses in these

wetlands. In a few southern

Michigan coastal wetlands,

there are plant species

typically found growing

along the coastal plain of the

Atlantic Ocean. These

species growing outside their

normal growing range are

called disjuncts. Many

coastal disjuncts respond

dramatically to water-level

fluctuations, sometimes

disappearing when water is

deep, and forming a carpet of

INTERDUNAL SWALES AND

plants when the ponds are

dry. Houghton’s goldenrod is

another rare plant that grows

only along the moist margins

of these Great Lakes coastal

wetlands in northern Michigan. When water levels drop,

the underground stems

(rhizomes) of Houghton’s

goldenrod expand out into

the wetland, where they

produce many more flowering stems, only to contract

again when the pond expands

in later years.

30

In these ponds, water levels

are controlled by the Great

Lakes; during low lake

levels the ponds may be

completely dry. As a result

of these water level fluctuations, both the plant and

animal life can change

dramatically from year to

year. Rushes and bulrushes

are often common in the

shallow, warm water. Jack

pines are also common along

the margins of the ponds and

occasionally grow within

Aerial photograph of interdunal Spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata). Northern leopard frog (Rana pipiens). wetlands at Ludington State Park.

Blanchard’s cricket frog Interdunal wetland, Muskegon State Park. (Acris crepitans blanchardi).

Maureen Houghton

Gary Reese

Earl Wolf

Gary Reese

James Harding
The shallow ponds are rich in

aquatic insects like dragonflies and damselflies. Spring

peepers, Fowler’s toads,

garter snakes, mink, and

muskrats are among the other

inhabitants of the ponds.

Along southern Lake

Michigan, the rare

Blanchard’s cricket frog

occurs locally in some

shallow interdunal ponds.

Spotted sandpipers build

nests around the ponds,

where there is greater

protection than on the nearby

exposed Great Lakes beach.

While most of the ponds are

found between the foredune

and backdunes, there are

often large swamps and

ponds located at the inland

edge of the dune fields. These

shallow ponds, with accumulations of organic material on

their bottoms, support an

even greater diversity of life

than the smaller interdunal

ponds. Migratory songbirds

take advantage of the

wetlands’ thermal protection

and feed heavily on the

abundant midges and other

aquatic insects during spring

migration, when other

sources of forage are scarce.

31

OTHER DUNE WETLANDS

Interdunal wetlands bordered by jack pine, Ludington State Park.

Virginia meadow-beauty

(Rhexia virginica). Jack pine (Pinus banksiana).

Swamp forest with marsh-marigold (Caltha palustris) along the back-side of the dunes, Hoffmaster State Park.

Maureen Houghton

Earl Wolf

Gary Reese David Wisse
Zonation of

Perched Dunes

32

Perched dunes share the foredune, blowout, backdune forest,

and interdunal wetland found on the parabolic dunes, and

most of the discussion of these zones under parabolic dunes is

relevant to the perched dunes as well. Many of the rare plants

and animals of the parabolic dunes, including Pitcher’s thistle,

Lake Huron tansy, clustered broom rape, and the Lake Huron

locust are also common within the perched dunes. Two rare

plants that are especially common on the perched dunes are

dunewort and clustered broom rape, both disjunct from the

western United States.

Perched dunes, Grand Sable Dunes.

Gary Reese
Mosses appear to play a role

in dune stabilization on some

northern dunes. This is most

evident on the Grand Sable

dunes along Lake Superior,

in the Upper Peninsula of

Michigan, where cooler,

foggy conditions are more

favorable to mosses and

lichens. Studies in the

Grand Sable dunes showed

that Polytrichum piliferum,

a moss, was able to survive

burial by over two inches

of sand.

The perched dunes themselves are by no means

stable. The largest perched

dune at Sleeping Bear Dunes

National Lakeshore, the

“Bear”, was completely

forested and rose 234 feet

above the plateau in 1906.

Erosion began in the 1920s,

and by 1961, the majestic

giant had been reduced to

only 132 feet in height.

Studies on Grand Sable

Dunes indicate that both

vehicle use and heavy foot

traffic have led to increased

erosion on grass- and herbdominated portions of

the dunes.

Interdunal swales are much

less common than within the

parabolic dunes. They also

differ, as their water table

is not determined by

fluctuations in Great Lakes

water levels, since they are

perched far above the

Great Lakes.

33

Beaches associated with

perched dunes, lying beneath

steep, eroding bluffs, are

often much narrower than

their parabolic dune counterparts. During periods of high

Great Lakes water levels, the

lake’s water can be directly

eroding the bluffs. Even

though the beaches can be

quite narrow, piping plovers

are known to nest on the

beaches below the perched

dunes, as at Sleeping Bear

Dunes National Lakeshore.

Clustered broom rape

(Orobanche fasciculata). Dunewort (Botrychium campestre).

Mosses and earth stars (Geastrum sp.) growing on open dunes, Grand Sable Dunes. Wormwood (Artemisia campestris). Dennis Albert

Dennis Albert

Michael Penskar

Photo courtesy of The Nature Conservancy.
ERODING BLUFF

Steep eroding bluffs

of till form the base

from which the perched

dunes rise.

For both the Grand Sable

dunes on Lake Superior and

the Sleeping Bear dunes on

Lake Michigan, the bluffs are

responsible for roughly 300

feet of elevation, while the

perched dunes formed on the

bluff are only half that

height. The bluff faces of

perched dunes are quite

variable. At both Grand Sable

and Sleeping Bear dunes, the

bluff faces are very sandy,

supporting dune plants, but

fine-textured bands of clay or

loam are also encountered.

On some bluff faces finetextured banding results in

numerous seepages. Trees

and shrubs establish on the

bluff faces, but continual

erosion of the bluff base

results in widespread

instability. Fallen trees are

common on forested portions

of the bluffs.

Both clustered broom rape

and dunewort commonly

grow on the eroding sandy

bluffs at Sleeping Bear and

Grand Sable dunes, and

elsewhere. Pitcher’s thistle

also grows on both perched

dunes and eroding bluffs.

Colonies of bank swallows

build nests into steep, clifflike sections of bluff.

34

Harebell (Campanula rotundifolia)

on gravel lag.

White camas (Zigadenus glaucus) growing on gravel lag.

Swallow nests in the steep bluffs at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Michael Penskar Dennis Albert

Dennis Albert
Zonation of

Dune & Swale

Dune and swale complexes have four distinct, alternating zones.

These are the beach and foredune, the open interdunal

swales, the forested dune ridges, and the forested swales.

Dune and swale complexes can be quite extensive; one of the

largest is the 40 mile long Tolston Beach complex along the

southern Lake Michigan shoreline in Indiana and Illinois.

35

Dwarf lake iris (Iris lacustris).

Harold Malde

Upland Forest

Foredune & Beach

Swamp Forest

Forested Dune

Marsh

Water (Lake Michigan & Point aux Chenes River)

Point aux Chenes

Dune and Swale Complex

Dennis Albert
BEACH AND FOREDUNE

The beach zone of dune

and swale complexes

and parabolic dune

complexes share

many processes, plants,

and animals.

In contrast, there is reduced

sand availability on the

foredunes of most dune and

swale complexes. As a result,

the dune and swale complexes never develop high

parabolic dune features,

although many contain small

parabolic dunes. Typical

linear beach ridges are only

about 10 to 15 feet high, and

about 30 to 100 feet wide.

Bare sand and herbaceous

vegetation characterize the

foredune, and often two or

three additional beach ridges

farther inland. As on the

foredunes of parabolic dune

complexes, marram grass is a

major pioneering plant on the

beach ridge closest to the

shoreline. Shrub willows and

sand cherry are also found

here. But a major difference

is seen on the second or third

dune ridge farther from the

shoreline, where marram

grass is typically replaced by

little bluestem, sand reed

grass, and low shrubs. The

rapid decline of marram

grass is due to the lack of

annual sand deposition.

A recent study in northern

Michigan demonstrated that

within 200 years, on the

fourth or fifth beach ridge

from the shoreline, mixed

pine forests had replaced the

pioneering herbs and low

shrubs of the shoreline.

Similar patterns of vegetation succession are seen

within most dune and swale

complexes throughout

northern Michigan. Where

the dune features are lower

and closer together, forest

succession often occurs even

more rapidly. The study also

documented the gradual

increase in organic material,

moisture holding capacity,

and nutrients on these 200

year-old dune soils.

Plants characteristic of the

foredunes include creeping

juniper, hoary puccoon,

beach pea, wormwood,

harebell, and common

milkweed. Two Great Lakes

endemic plants, Pitcher’s

thistle and Lake Huron

tansy, occur on the open

foredune, along with

endemic Lake Huron locust.

Another endemic plant, dwarf

lake iris, is sometimes found

on the shrubby, inland edge

of the foredune, but it grows

more vigorously on the

sheltered inner ridges, where

it forms dense carpets. It also

persists, but does not flower,

under closed forest canopies.

Lacking both adequate

moisture and nutrients, the

environment of the foredune

is typically too extreme for

the successful establishment

of most upland tree species.

As the shrub cover increases

on ridges farther from shore,

tree seedling establishment

increases. In the north, white

spruce, white pine, and red

pine are common pioneering

tree species, while cottonwood, sassafras, and black

oak are common pioneers in

the south.

36

Foredune of dune and swale complex,

Grass Bay on Lake Huron.

Maureen Houghton
OPEN INTERDUNAL SWALES

The wetness of interdunal

swales near the present

lakeshore is determined

by the Great Lakes

water level.

species, have recently been

discovered within the marly

swales near St. Ignace, on

northern Lake Huron.

Woodcock and common

snipe commonly nest in the

brushy swales, found where

the open swales along the

shoreline transition to

forested swales.

The moist swale margins in

the Straits of Mackinac,

along the northern Lake

Huron and Lake Michigan

shoreline, are the primary

habitat for a rare Great Lakes

endemic plant, Houghton’s

goldenrod. During high Great

Lakes water levels,

Houghton’s goldenrod

37

When water levels are

high, several swales near the

shoreline may be flooded.

Swales farther from the

shoreline can also be flooded,

but these swales are typically

flooded because of groundwater flow or seepage, not

due to the lake’s water level.

Aquatic vegetation in the

swales can be quite diverse,

including aquatic or emergent

grasses, sedges, herbs, and

shrubs. In some complexes,

there can be several open,

sedge- or alder-dominated

swales separated by forested

ridges before the swales

become consistently forested.

Aquatic insects are likewise

abundant in these shallow,

warm swales, along with

leeches. Several populations

of Hine’s emerald dragonflies, a federally endangered

Houghton’s goldenrod

(Solidago houghtonii). Butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris).

Shallow marly swale at Pointe aux Chenes dune and swale complex.

Dennis Albert

Harold Malde

Susan Crispin
populations can decrease

drastically and sometimes the

plant may appear to be absent

from a site. When water

levels drop, the number of

stems around a swale can

increase dramatically,

sometimes even occupying

38

the entire bottom of moist

swales. Houghton’s goldenrod is occasionally found

growing on the drier low

dunes as well. The marly

swales in the Straits area

provide habitat for another

showy rare plant, butterwort,

which can be locally abundant along the moist margins

or within the shallow waters

of the swale. The size of

butterwort populations

can likewise fluctuate

greatly in response to

water level changes.

Aerial photo of dune and swale complex, Grass Bay on Lake Huron.

Pitcher-plant (Sarracenia purpurea). Grass pink (Calopogon tuberosus). Indian paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea). Harold Malde Doug Pearsall

The Nature Conservancy Ted Cline (Photair Inc.)
FORESTED DUNE RIDGES

Succession on the dune

and swale complexes

is much more rapid than

succession on the higher

parabolic dunes, probably because of reduced

sand accumulation

in the dune and swale

complex, thus allowing

trees to establish without

being buried.

storms. Both from the

original surveyors’ notes

and from recent records,

it is apparent that wind

storms occur often near

the shoreline, creating the

large openings required for

establishment of pines and

other early successional

tree species.

Large white and red pine on

the ridges provide nest trees

for bald eagles and ospreys,

both of which feed either in

the nearby lake or within the

larger, open swales. During

the summer months, groundnesting northern harriers are

encountered gliding gracefully above the open swales.

Following large wind storms

or major insect infestations,

woodpeckers forage for

insects and nest in standing,

dead trees. Dwarf lake iris

can form dense colonies

growing beneath both open

and closed-canopied conifer

forests just back from the

shoreline, but in this habitat it

seldom flowers, except when

the forest canopy is opened

by a storm. Dwarf lake iris

may persist on shady,

forested ridges as much as a

mile from shore.

39

Stabilization of the dunes

by trees also results in

relatively rapid soil development, with increased nutrient

and moisture availability.

This results in continual

forest dominance, but

replacement of pine forests

by more mesic hardwood

forest types appears to be

very slow on dune and swale

complexes, with conifers

maintaining dominance for

over 2,000 years. This is in

strong contrast to many of the

parabolic dune complexes,

where hardwoods commonly

dominate the more protected

inner portions of the dunes.

This continued dominance by

pines, balsam fir, and early

successional hardwoods, such

as oaks, balsam poplar, and

aspen, may result from

regularly occurring wind Black-backed woodpecker

(Picoides arcticus).

Shallow swale with aquatic plants, surrounded by conifer-dominated dunes, Gulliver,

northern Lake Michigan.

Michael Penskar Betty Cottrille
FORESTED SWALES

The establishment of

forests within the swales

is much more gradual

than the establishment of

forests on the ridges.

While herbaceous

vegetation often completely

dominates only the 3 or 4

swales closest to shoreline,

shrubs can be prevalent well

into a complex. The shrubs

are gradually replaced by

swamp conifers as one

proceeds further from the

shoreline and as the swales

become drier. In southern

Michigan, common shrubs

are buttonbush, Michigan

holly, meadowsweet, and

willows, while further north,

speckled alder, sweet gale,

mountain holly, and shrubsized black spruce, northern

white cedar, and tamarack

become increasingly dominant. On Lake Superior,

where organic materials

decompose slowly because of

the cold climate and where

the soils are more acid, bog

vegetation dominates these

shrub swamps, including bog

laurel, cranberries, bog

rosemary, leatherleaf, and

Labrador-tea.

Further from the shoreline,

swamp conifers become the

dominant vegetation.

Groundwater-fed streams

enter most of the dune and

swale complexes. In the

oxygen-rich waters near these

streams, cedar, speckled

alder, and hardwoods, such as

paper birch and trembling

aspen are abundant. In

portions of the swales with

restricted groundwater

influence, black spruce,

tamarack, and acid-tolerant

shrubs are prevalent. Organic

soils accumulate in most

forested swales, but are

seldom greater than three

feet deep.

These dense conifer swamps

provide extensive habitat for

orchids and other plants

requiring sheltered, cool,

shady conditions. Among the

rare plants known from these

complexes is Lapland

buttercup, a state threatened

plant with a mostly boreal

distribution, and roundleaved orchid, which

also requires the cool

protected habitat.

Faunal surveys of the dune

and swale complex have been

much less intensive than the

plant surveys. Some relatively common users of this

protected habitat are snowshoe hare, common snipe, red

fox, and whitetail deer.

Whitetail deer utilize the

thermal protection, as well as

the abundant conifers for

winter browse. Many dune

and swale complexes are

managed specifically for

whitetail deer, with upland

logging used to stimulate

aspen growth for browse.

Studies of migratory songbirds along northern Lake

Huron have demonstrated

that coastal wetlands are an

extremely important source

of forage in the spring.

During April and May, the

coastal wetlands produce

large numbers of midges

at a time when there are

few other food sources for

migratory songbirds. The

midges congregate on the

needles of conifers, where

warblers and other songbirds

come to feast.

40

Lapland buttercup (Ranunculus

lapponicus) leaf on the right, with look alike goldthread (Coptis trifolia) leaf on

the left.

Gary Reese
Zonation of

Transverse Dunes

Within Glacial

Embayments

There has been less detailed study of the dune fields within the

glacial bays of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan than in any

other dune type. Yet, even with this paucity of information, it is

clear that these dune complexes are extremely important for

maintaining Michigan’s plant and animal diversity.

41

Common snipe (Gallinago gallinago).

Red pine and white pine growing on low transverse dune ridges within extensive peatland, Barfield Lakes. Betty Cottrille

Dennis Albert
The original surveyors’

notes from the mid-1800s

described vast peatlands,

often flooded by beaver

dams, and broken by

narrow white pine- and

red pine-capped ridges.

42

DUNE FORESTS

While white pine and red

pine were common dominant

trees, the surveyors also

made reference to aspen and

jack pine. In a few places,

eastern hemlock grew with

white pine, creating a majestic

forest. A few examples of this

forest type still remain, as at

Swamp Lakes and portions of

Barfield Lakes. Many of the

ridges were at least partially

burnt, as were the surrounding

plants. It is also common to

encounter bald-faced hornet

nests, either in the loose sand

or hanging from bracken fern,

and in the twilight, one may

be serenaded by bobolinks.

The upland conifer forests

remain important for birds

like the pine siskin,

Blackburnian warbler, and

other songbirds requiring

mature conifers for nesting.

peatlands. Following settlement, winter logging was

conducted on most of the

bays, and fires often followed

logging, sometimes resulting

in the loss of pines and

replacement by aspen. Plant

surveys of the ridges have

resulted in no rare plant finds.

Bracken fern, blueberries,

huckleberries, poverty grass,

and Pennsylvania sedge are

among the most common

Open, transverse dune ridge following heavy logging and slash fires. American kestrel (Falco sparverius).

Low white-pine dominated transverse dunes within a shallow, sedge-dominated

peatland, Barfield Lakes.

 Dennis Albert

Dennis Albert

Janet Haas
The peatlands surrounding the transverse dunes

form an intriguing,

diverse habitat. At the

margins of many

peatlands, there is typically a zone with groundwater influx, where a

narrow band of northern

white-cedar grows.

Cedar quickly gives way

to black spruce and tamarack,

sometimes followed by

stunted jack pine in the center

of the peatland. Tree growth

is slow because of the harsh,

frost prone micro-climate and

low nutrient availability. As a

result of these extreme

conditions, a 1-inch diameter

tamarack may be 75 to 100

years old.

The swamp edges can be

relatively diverse, but the

center of the peatlands may

have a depauperate flora of

sphagnum mosses and a few

species of sedge. Fire is no

stranger to the peatlands,

which can be quite dry during

periods of drought. The

original surveyors mapped

large fires in several

peatlands and thin bands of

charcoal are common in

the peat.

One of the most common

animals within these large

wetlands is the beaver. Small

streams flowing across the

wetlands will usually be

blocked by a string of beaver

dams. The habitat is important for other animals as well.

During the spring and

summer, the visitor can

expect to be treated to the

raucous, primitive calls of

sandhill cranes, which feed

on the abundant insects

within the dune complex.

Scattered small lakes within

the peatland will occasionally

harbor nesting loons or black

terns. In the spring, sharptailed grouse can be seen

engaging in their mating

rituals on low rises within the

wetlands, sometimes sending

water spraying in all directions. Yellow rail, a secretive

waterbird of bogs, also feeds

and mates in these wetlands,

using open, sedge- or grassdominated habitat. Yellowrail nests are found in

shallow water within extensive stands of Carex

lasiocarpa, a sedge, and

populations of the rail

increase following fires.

American bittern is another

43

Moose (Alces alces) within large peatland and dune complex.Labrador-tea (Ledum groenlandicum). Swamp-laurel (Kalmia polifolia). Harold Malde

Harold Malde

Ken Jacobsen

PEATLANDS/CONIFER SWAMPS
bird common to this complex

of dunes and wetlands.

Merlins, a small falcon

species, may be seen soaring

over the wetlands in search of

prey. The vast peatlands

provide habitat for many of

its prey species, including

song birds, small mammals,

dragonflies, and other large

insects. Merlins nest in large

trees along the wetland edge,

utilizing abandoned nests of

American crows or common

ravens, or even building nests

in witches’ broom, a parasitic

mistletoe growing on black

spruce trees.

Songbirds nesting in the

herbaceous and shrubby

portions of these wetlands

include LeConte’s and

Lincoln’s sparrow. Dead

standing trees, resulting from

either insect infestations,

beaver flooding, or fires,

provide nesting cavities for

rare black-backed woodpeckers. Black-backed woodpeckers become locally common

following one of these

disturbances, only to disappear and move to another

disturbed site within just a

few years, as nesting and

foraging conditions decline.

The dune-peatland complexes

also provide habitat for birds

with a more northern, boreal

distribution, including rusty

blackbirds and palm warblers. Two other northern

species, the white-winged

and red crossbills, breed in

mature stands of red pine on

the narrow dune ridges.

These large peatlands are

very important for small

mammals like the snowshoe

hare, and for large mammals

like wolf, bear, and moose as

well. With some of the lowest

road densities in the state,

bear and wolf are at home in

these vast peatlands. Moose,

recently reintroduced to the

Upper Peninsula of Michigan,

are also occasionally sighted

within these peatlands.

44

Sandhill crane (Grus canadensis). Typical peatland within complex of

transverse dunes. Color-infrared aerial photograph of

glacial Lake Algonquin bay with

transverse dune ridges, Ramsey-Lost

Lakes.

Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Betty Cottrille

Harold Malde
Dune Threats

45

Both the ecological importance and recreational value

of Michigan’s sand dunes

are well recognized. Unfortunately, there are also

numerous threats to the

dunes, ranging from degradation of the dunes by

residential and recreational

uses to complete elimination

by mining. Among the

threats identified along

Michigan’s coastal dunes,

the following are among the

most wide spread or severe: • Exotic (introduced non-native) plants and animals.

• Off-road vehicles (ORVs)

• Pedestrian recreational overuse

• Residential development

• Sand mining and other industrial development

A highway and driveways cross this dune and swale complex, altering the hydrology.

These condominiums result in the destruction of forested dune and provide easy

shoreline access for ORVs.

Courtesy of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. Todd Thompson
46

EXOTIC PLANTS & ANIMALS

several years. Baby’s-breath

forms large taproots, up to

several feet long, making

manual removal difficult.

Other herbaceous plants

commonly invading the open

dunes include bouncing bet,

bladder campion, Canada

bluegrass, autumn olive, scots

pine, and smooth brome

grass.

Still other plants have been

purposely planted on the

dunes by land owners to

stabilize the dunes, especially

black pine, Lombardy poplar,

and white poplar. Black pine

has begun to reproduce by

seed on some of the state

parks, causing a costly

management problem. Both

Lombardy and white poplar

reproduce vegetatively,

producing open clones in the

case of Lombardy poplar, and

very dense clones for white

poplar. Once trees have

established on the dunes, the

general public is sometimes

opposed to their removal,

even though these exotics

may threaten populations of

rare endemic dune plants.

To date, there are many less

exotic animals than plants

adversely impacting the dune

environment. A recent arrival

to the sandy shoreline is the

zebra mussel. In bays of the

Great Lakes, zebra mussel

Exotic plants are a

widespread threat

to dunes.

One widespread exotic

plant is spotted knapweed,

which colonizes open habitat,

often spreading along

roadway corridors. It forms

dense patches, resulting in

stabilization of blowing sand,

thus reducing habitat for rare

species like Pitcher’s thistle,

which requires open, moving

sand for its establishment and

survival. Another plant that

similarly stabilizes open sand

dunes is baby’s-breath.

Both of these plants can be

extremely difficult to

eliminate once they have

established, since their seed

can persist in the sand,

gradually germinating over

Silver poplar (Populus alba).

Bladder campion (Silene vulgaris).

Walter Loope

Photo courtesy of Gillette Nature Center.
47

has been reported to cause

chemical changes, resulting

in increased levels of bluegreen algae. While the effects

on the sand beach have not

yet been fully evaluated, the

tremendous numbers of

shells cannot help but alter

some aspects of the dune

ecosystem. These colorful

shells often form windrows

on the beach following

storms, and can result in

severe lacerations to the

bare feet of beach-goers,

especially children.

Another potential exotic

threat is a beetle that has

been introduced to control

an exotic species of thistle.

There are indications that

the beetle may also feed

on federally-threatened

Pitcher’s thistle.

Baby’s-breath (Gypsophila paniculata). Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra var. italica). Samara Hamze

Dennis Albert
48

ORVS & OVERUSE

Degradation: ORV’s and

Recreational Overuse

dune lost over half of its

height from heavy vehicle

use. Similarly, studies have

shown that the amount of

unvegetated sand increased

dramatically at Grand Sable

dunes as a result of vehicle

and pedestrian uses.

Extreme pedestrian use has

led to the development of

boardwalks at some of the

most heavily used parks.

Boardwalks have been

successful in reducing

recreational erosion at several

Michigan parks, including

Hoffmaster and Warren

Dunes State Parks.

Human degradation to the

dunes takes many forms.

Garbage and debris are

widespread. Not only does

refuse detract from the scenic

beauty of the dunes, it can

also be dangerous to wildlife.

For example, shore birds can

become entangled in plastic

6-pack holders or swallow

the colorful remains of

helium balloons and their

attached ribbons. Helium

balloons, purposefully or

accidentally released along

the shorelines from as far

away as Wisconsin, are

probably the most common

debris found on the beach.

The effect of off-road

vehicles and, in some cases,

overly heavy pedestrian use

have been well documented

on the dunes. Probably the

most dramatic example of

off-road vehicle use is Silver

Lake State Park, where

extreme levels of use have

eliminated almost all

vegetation from a large

portion of the dunes, creating

conditions that we associate

with the most barren, extreme

desert environments. Studies

done using aerial photos

taken over a period of fifty

years document the effect of

off-road vehicles at both

Sleeping Bear Dunes

National Lakeshore and

Grand Sable Dunes (Pictured

Rocks National Lakeshore).

The Great Sleeping Bear

Dune buggy, Silver Lake State Park.

A visually pleasing boardwalk reduces the erosion at Hoffmaster State Park’s Gillette

Nature Center.

Earl Wolf Dave Kenyon
49

A sample of balloon ribbons picked up along a short section of beach, Warren Dunes State Park.

The “dune climb” at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Heavy pedestrian traffic has resulted in almost complete elimination of

vegetation.

Photo courtesy of Michigan State Parks. Dennis Albert
50

RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT

There is probably no

more attractive place to

drink morning coffee

than from one’s dining

room perched atop a

coastal dune, yet, in

terms of the coastal

environment, homes built

within the dunes cause

numerous problems.

the home is built, the open

sand which was only slightly

objectionable when tracked

onto the picnic blanket,

becomes a major irritation,

and a lawn is soon planted.

Soon, blue grass, other lawn

grasses, and accompanying

weeds such as dandelion and

smooth brome, become

troublesome exotic pests on

the open dune. When the

sand begins burying the

deck, swimming pool, or

living room windows, the

lawn is followed by a

protective barrier of black

pine or Lombardy poplar,

providing yet another set of

dune invaders.

Blowing and eroding sand

limits appropriate locations

for road and driveway

construction. State and local

zoning restrict driveway

construction to slopes less

than 33 percent, but widespread violation of these

ordinances is common.

Every home in the dunes

requires a driveway, and each

driveway or road creates a

corridor for exotic plants to

enter the dunes. As soon as

Erosion during high water periods can result in major property loss for those who built

their homes too close to coastal bluffs.

Indiscriminate condominium and home development along the shoreline resulted in

the passage of Michigan’s sand dune regulations.

Courtesy of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

Courtesy of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
Home construction on sand

dunes can be a risky and an

expensive venture. Sand

dunes are by definition

unstable. Increased activity,

either in the form of human

disturbance to dune plants or

climatic disturbances, can

result in rapid destabilization

of the dunes, resulting in

rapid sand movement. It is

not unusual during a study

of coastal residential areas to

encounter homes whose

foundations have been

eroded by bluff erosion or

homes, swimming pools, or

driveways buried by sand.

Even the forested dunes can

be a very risky place to

build, as was demonstrated

by a windstorm in late

spring of 1998. The storm

caused extensive property

damage within the dunes

near Muskegon, when

thousands of uprooted trees

destroyed roofs, blocked

roads and driveways, and

damaged cars. There have

been recent, severe storms

along the northern Lake

Michigan shoreline as well,

with large white pine and red

pine especially prone to

wind damage.

Residential development

can also seriously degrade

linear dune (dune and swale)

complexes. To access the

shoreline, where most

residential development

occurs within these complexes, a series of driveways

are built crossing the entire

series of dunes and swales,

resulting in severe degradation of the drainage conditions within the swales.

Swales that previously

provided abundant wildlife

habitat, become a series of

cat-tail- or purple loosestrifechoked, stagnant ponds.

Homes built close to the

shoreline often stabilize

foredunes. Habitat for

threatened endemic species

like the Lake Huron locust,

Pitcher’s thistle, dwarf lake

iris, Houghton’s goldenrod,

and Lake Huron tansy is

destroyed or degraded by

alteration of habitat or the

introduction of exotic plants

like baby’s-breath, spotted

knapweed, or Kentucky

blue grass.

Creative fantasy becomes coastal

debris when Great Lakes waters rise.

This home along southern Lake

Michigan was destroyed during the

high-water period of the late 1980s.

Courtesy of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

Courtesy of Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

A highway and driveways cross this dune and swale complex, altering the hydrology.

Todd Thompson

51
52

OTHER DEVELOPMENT

In the recent past, coastal

dunes were an extremely

important source of sand

for industrial uses.

Presently, one of the first

dune restoration projects is

underway at a sand mining

site adjacent to Grand Mere

State Park, near Bridgeman.

Other sand mining sites

have been stabilized rather

than restored, using the ponds

or lakes created during

mining operations as focal

points for golf courses or

condominium complexes.

Golf course development

linked to luxury homes or

condominiums often destroys

the ecological integrity of

sand dunes. Most golf

courses replace dune grasses

with turf grasses, both

eliminating habitat for native

dune species and introducing

exotic plants into the dune

ecosystem. Forest vegetation

is often removed, altering the

micro-climate, which can

result in dune destabilization.

In recent years there was a

dramatic example of the

disastrous effects of such an

alteration of dune habitat,

when forest removal,

hydrological manipulations,

and turf-grass establishment

along a dune bluff resulted in

tremendous levels of erosion

and ultimately also the loss

of the scenic green.

One of the most significant industrial uses of dune

sand was for creating foundry

casting molds. Michigan’s

automobile industry relied

extensively on sands from

the Lake Michigan shoreline

until the 1980s when public

pressure forced the industry

to find other sources of sand.

As our need for sand continues, inland sands have proved

to be an economically viable

sand source, somewhat

reducing the pressure on our

coastal dunes. Other industrial uses of sand include road

construction and winter road

treatment, construction fill,

and glass production. In the

Muskegon area, glass

manufacturing resulted in the

complete removal of some

coastal dunes. Sand mining

continues in many Great

Lakes coastal areas.

Sand mining along southern Lake Michigan.

Agricultural and residential development behind the dunes reduces the value for

wildlife species like the eastern box turtle or nesting songbirds. Rosy Mound, southern

Lake Michigan.

Donald Petersen R. Torresen
The Sand Dunes

Protection and Management Program, as part

of the Natural Resources

and Environmental

Protection Act, 1994

PA 451, is in place to

protect dunes from

residential, commercial,

and industrial uses.

Sand dune regulations

were enacted by the state of

Michigan to protect dunes

that were not publicly owned

from indiscriminate development. Seventy thousand acres

of shoreline along Lake

Michigan and Lake Superior

were designated and mapped

by the Michigan Department

of Natural Resources as

“critical dune areas”. These

areas are mapped in the Atlas

of Critical Dunes (1989).

Critical dune areas include,

but are not limited to, all

barrier dunes along the

shoreline, both open and

forested dunes. Parabolic,

perched, and linear dunes are

included within the “critical

dune areas” designation.

Not only do the sand dune

regulations identify the dunes

being regulated, they also

restrict certain activities

within the dunes. Construction of structures, roads, and

driveways is now restricted

on steep slopes (over 33%) to

reduce dune destabilization.

Before the regulations were

enacted, construction of

homes on steep slopes and

unstable, open dunes was

common.

Home or condominium

construction along the

shoreline periodically results

in the loss of structures,

especially during high-water

periods, when dune and

shoreline bluff erosion can be

quite rapid. The loss of

structures can be quite

costly to the landowner.

Attempts to save homes by

building jetties or other

shoreline structures result in

the disruption of a long-shore

currents and sediment

transport, sometimes

negatively affecting

nearby properties.

While current regulations

have resulted in reduced

degradation of Michigan’s

sand dunes, development

pressure remains high. The

density of development in

many dune areas has been

SAND DUNE REGULATIONS

very high, resulting in loss of

many ecological values.

While regulations provide

some protection for the

dunes, development of the

adjacent, flatter sand lake

plain has been even more

intense. In many places,

there is no natural vegetation

to provide a buffer between

the dunes and the adjacent

urban, industrial, or agricultural lands. This buffering is

critical for the survival of

many of the plants and

animals utilizing the dunes.

Lack of buffer is even seen at

some of the state’s premier

parks, where homes, golf

courses, and even sand

mining operations are within

easy view of the parks.

Unfortunately, sand dune

regulations have not eliminated this intensive development, as demonstrated at

Hoffmaster State Park, where

new homes on the foredune

extend to within a few

hundred feet of the park.

Such development visually

detracts from the park’s

beauty and can provide easy

access for off-road vehicle

trespass into the parks.

53
DUNES IN MICHIGAN - LOWER PENINSULA

54

Remember that dune habitats are fragile and easily damaged by human activities.

Please use boardwalks or special viewing platforms when available.

28 29 27

26

20

30

24

23

22

21

25

18

19

17

16

15

14

13

12

11

10

3

8

7

6

5

4

9

2

1

46

45

44

43

42

41

40

39

38

36 35

34

31

32

33

37

LAKE MICHIGAN

LAKE HURON
55

SAND DUNES ON PUBLICLY-OWNED LANDS OR PRIVATE NATURE PRESERVES IN LOWER MICHIGAN

South North South North South North South North

1. Grand Beach X

2. Warren Dunes State Park X

3 Grand Mere State Park X

4 Van Buren State Park X

5 Saugatuck State Park X

6. Holland State Park X

7. Rosy Mound State Park X

8. Hoffmaster State Park* X

9. Muskegon State Park* X

10. Duck Lake State Park X

11. Meinert County Park X

12. Benona Township Park X

13. Silver Lake State Park X

14. Charles Mears State Park X

15. Ludington State Park* X

16. Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area (USFS) X

17. Orchard Beach State Park X

18. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore* X X

19. Manitou Islands; Sleeping Bear Dunes N. L. X X

20. South Fox Island X

21. Leland Municipal Beach X X

22. Leelanau State Park X

23. Fishermans Island State Park X

24. Petoskey State Park X

25. Beaver Island (MI DNR) X X

26. High Island (State Wildlife Research Area) X

27. Garden Island (MI DNR) X

28. Hog Island (MI DNR) X

29. Wilderness State Park X X

30. Trail’s End Bay (Twp. Park) X

31. Lakeport State Park X

32. Vassar and Tuscola State Game Areas X

33. Gratiot-Saginaw State Game Area X

34. Au Sable State Forest X

35. Port Crescent State Park X

36. Albert E. Sleeper State Park X

37. Fish Point Wildlife Area X

38. Tobico State Game Area X

39. Pointe Au Gres (MI DNR) X

40. Tawas Point State Park X

41. Negwegon State Park X

42. Misery Bay (MI DNR) X

43. Thompsons Harbor State Park X

44. Hoeft State Park X

45. Cheboygan State Park X

46. Point Catosh, Bois Blanc Island (MI DNR) X

Codes:

Bolded sites are excellent examples of dune types with easy access.

* Interpretative Services Available.

Dune &

Swale Complex

(Linear Dunes)

Parabolic

Dunes

Perched

Dunes

Transverse

Dunes
DUNES IN MICHIGAN - UPPER PENINSULA

56

Remember that dune habitats are fragile and easily damaged

by human activities. Please use boardwalks or special viewing

platforms when available.

47. De Tour State Park X

48. St. Martin Bay (USFS X

49. Horseshoe Bay (USFS Wilderness Area) X

50. Pointe aux Chenes (USFS) X X

51. Brevoort Lake (USFS) X

52. Big Knob State Forest Campground X

53. Seiners Point to Point Patterson (MI DNR) X

54. Seul Choix Point West (MI DNR) X

55. Thompson State Roadside Park (MI DNR) X

56. Portage Bay (MI DNR) X

57. Sucker Lake (MI DNR) X

58. Fishdam River (USFS) X

59. Ogontz Bay (USFS) X

60. Wedens Bay (USFS) X

61. Wells State Park X

62. Ramsey-Lost Lakes (USFS) X

63. Indian Lake North (MI DNR) X

64. Seney National Wildlife Refuge X

65. Monocle Lake (USFS) X X

66. Pendills Bay (USFS) X

67. Tahquamenon Bay (USFS) X

68. Whitefish Point (MI DNR) X

Parabolic

Dunes

Perched

Dunes

Dune &

Swale Complex

(Linear Dunes)

Transverse

Dunes

61

78

79 80

81

82 83

84

85
57

SAND DUNES ON PUBLICLY-OWNED LANDS

OR PRIVATE NATURE PRESERVES IN

UPPER MICHIGAN

69. Tahquamenon Falls State Park X X

70. Swamp Lakes (Preserve: The Nature Conservancy) X

71. McMahon Lake(MI DNR and Nature Conservancy Preserve) X

72. Two-Hearted River Mouth X X

73. Muskallonge Lake to Grand Marais (MI DNR) X X

74. Grand Sable Dunes (Pictured Rocks Nat’l. Lakeshore)* X

75. 12-Mile Beach (Pictured Rocks Nat’l. Lakeshore) X

76. Grand Island (USFS Federal Recreation Area) X

77. Au Train Bay (USFS and MI State Roadside Park) X

78. Little Presque Isle (MI DNR) X

79. Pequaming (MI DNR and TWP. Park) X

80. Baraga State Park X

81. Traverse Bay County Park X

82. Eagle Harbor (Michigan Nature Association Preserve) X X

83. Great Sand Bay (Michigan Nature Association Preserve) X

84. F. J. McLain State Park X

85. Sleeping Bay and Misery Bay (MI DNR) X

Codes:

Bolded sites are excellent examples of dune types with easy access.

* Interpretative Services Available.

Parabolic

Dunes

Perched

Dunes

Dune &

Swale Complex

(Linear Dunes)

Transverse

Dunes

48 47 49 50

51

52

53 54 55

56

57

58

59

60

62

63

64

67 66 65

68

70 69

71

74 73 72

75

77 76
REFERENCED SPECIES: COMMON AND LATIN

58

Amphibians

Blanchard’s cricket frog Acris crepitans blanchardi

Blue-spotted salamander Ambystoma laterale

Fowler’s toad Bufo fowleri

Northern leopard frog Rana pipiens

Red-backed salamander Plethodon cinereus

Spring peeper Pseudacris crucifer crucifer

Arthropods - Spiders

Wolf spider Lycosidae (Family)

Birds

American bittern Botaurus lentiginosus

American kestrel Falco sparverius

Bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Black tern Chlidonias niger

Black-and-white warbler Mniotilta varia

Black-backed

woodpecker Picoides arcticus

Black-billed cuckoo Coccyzus erythropthalmus

Black-throated

green warbler Dendroica virens

Blackburnian warbler Dendroica fusca

Bluebird, eastern Sialia sialis

Broad-winged hawk Buteo platypterus

Common loon Gavia immer

Common snipe Gallinago gallinago

Cooper’s hawk Accipiter cooperii

Goshawk Circus cyaneus

LeConte’s sparrow Ammodramus leconteii

Lincoln’s sparrow Melospiza lincolnii

Merlin Falco columbarius

Birds, continued

Ovenbird Seiurus aurocapillus

Palm warbler Dendroica palmarum

Pine siskin Carduelis pinus

Piping plover Charadrius melodus

Prairie warbler Dendroica discolor

Red crossbill Loxia curvirostra

Red-eyed vireo Vireo olivaceus

Red-shouldered hawk Buteo lineatus

Rusty blackbird Euphagus carolinus

Sanderling Calidris alba

Sandhill crane Grus canadensis

Scarlet tanager Piranga olivacea

Sharp-shinned hawk Accipiter striatus

Sharp-tailed grouse Tympanuchus phasianellus

Song sparrow Melospiza melodia

Spotted sandpiper Actitis macularia

White-winged crossbill Loxia leucoptera

Wood thrush Hylocichla mustelina

Woodcock, American Scolopax minor

Yellow rail Coturnicops noveboracensis

Yellow-billed cuckoo Coccyzus americanus

Insects - Beetles

Ladybirds Coccinellidae (Family)

Tiger beetles Cicindela scutellaris

Insects – Butterflies and moths

Dune cutworm Euxoa aurulenta

Monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus

Tiger Swallowtail Papilio glaucus

White admiral Limenitis arthemus

Insects – Dragonflies

Hine’s emerald Somatochlora hineana

Insects – Grasshoppers and Crickets

Lake Huron locust Trimerotropis huroniana

Insects – Wasps and Hornets

Bald-faced hornet Vespula maculata

Spider (digger) wasps Pompilidae (Family)

Insects – Other

Antlion Myrmeleontidae (Family)

Mammals

Beaver Castor canadensis

Black bear Ursus americanus

Mink Mustela vison

Moose Alces alces

Muskrat Ondatra zibethicus

Snowshoe hare Lepus americanus

White-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus

Wolf Canis lupus

Reptiles

Black rat snake Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta

Blue racer (snake) Coluber constrictor

Eastern hognose snake Heterodon platirhinos

Eastern box turtle Terrapene carolina

 carolina

Garter snake Thamnophis spp.

Spotted turtle Clemmys guttata

PLANTS OF THE DUNES AND ASSOCIATED WETLANDS REFERENCED IN REPORT

Common Name Latin Name Common Name Latin Name Common Name Latin Name

American beech Fagus grandifolia

Aspen, big-toothed Populus grandidentata

Aspen, trembling Populus tremuloides

Baby’s-breath Gypsophila paniculata

Balsam fir Abies balsamea

Balsam poplar Populus balsamifera

Basswood Tilia americana

Beach pea Lathyrus japonicus

Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Bishop’s cap Mitella diphylla

Black pine Pinus nigra

Black spruce Picea mariana

Black oak Quercus velutina

Bloodroot Sanguinaria canadensis

Blueberry Vaccinium spp.

Bog rosemary Andromeda glaucophylla

Bog laurel Kalmia polifolia

Bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum

Bugseed Corispermum hyssopifolium

Bulrush Scirpus sp.

Bunchberry Cornus canadensis

Butterfly weed Asclepias tuberosa

Butterwort Pinguicula vulgaris

Clustered broom rape Orobanche fasciculata

Common juniper Juniperus communis

Common milkweed Asclepias syriaca

Common trillium Trillium grandiflorum

Cottonwood (Eastern) Populus deltoides

Cranberry Vaccinium oxycoccos,

V. macrocarpon

Creeping juniper Juniperus horizontalis

Dunewort Botrychium campestre

Dutchman’s-breeches Dicentra cucullaria

Dwarf lake iris Iris lacustris

Eastern white-cedar Thuja occidentalis

Red oak Quercus rubra

Red anemone Anemone multifida

Red pine Pinus resinosa

Round-leaved orchid Amerorchis rotundifolia

Rue anemone Anemonella thallictroides

Rush Juncus sp.

Sand cherry Prunus pumila

Sand reed grass Calamovilfa longifolia

Sassafras Sassafras albidum

Sea rocket Cakile edentula

Seaside spurge Euphorbia polygonifolia

Sedge Carex sp.

Silver poplar Populus alba

Solomon’s seal Polygonum pubescens

Speckled alder Alnus rugosa

Spotted knapweed Centauria maculata

Spring-beauty Claytonia virginica

Squirrel-corn Dicentra canadensis

Star flower Trientalis borealis

Sugar maple Acer saccharum

Swamp-laurel Kalmia polifolia

Sweet gale Myrica gale

Tamarack Larix laricina

Trout lily Erythronium americanum

Virginia meadow-beauty Rhexia virginia

White camas Zigadenus glaucus

White spruce Picea glauca

White pine Pinus strobus

Willow Salix sp.

Winged Pigweed Cycloloma atriplicifolia

Wormwood Artemisia campestris

Yellow violet Viola pubescens

Eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis

Grass-pink Calopogon tuberosus

Ground juniper Juniperus horizontalis

Hairy puccoon Lithospermum caroliniense

Harebell Campanula rotundifolia

Hepatica Hepatica americana,

H. acutiloba

Houghton’s goldenrod Solidago houghtonii

Huckleberry Gaylussacia baccata

Indian paintbrush Castilleja coccinea

Jack pine Pinus banksiana

Jack-in-the-pulpit Arisaema triphyllum

Labrador tea Ledum groenlandicum

Lake Huron tansy Tanacetum huronense

Lapland buttercup Ranunculus lapponicus

Leatherleaf Chamaedaphne calyculata

Little bluestem Schizachyrium scoparius

Marram grass Ammophila breviligulata

Marsh-marigold Caltha palustris

May-apple Podophyllum peltatum

Meadowsweet Spiraea alba

Michigan holly Ilex verticillata

Moonwort Botrychium mormo,

B. acuminatum,

B. hesperium

Mountain holly Nemopanthus mucronata

Nodding trillium Trillium cernuum

Osier dogwood Cornus stolonifera

Pennsylvania sedge Carex pensylvanica

Pitcher-plant Sarracenia purpurea

Pitcher’s thistle Cirsium pitcheri

Poison ivy Toxicodendron radicans

Poverty grass Danthonia spicata

Prairie phlox Phlox pilosa

ANIMALS OF THE DUNES AND ASSOCIATED WETLANDS REFERENCED IN REPORT

Common Name Latin Name Common Name Latin Name Common Name Latin Name
59

EXOTIC PLANTS TABLE

COMMON EXOTIC PLANTS OF THE SAND DUNES

Common Name Latin Name

Autumn olive Elaeagnus umbellata

Baby’s-breath Gypsophila paniculata

Black locust Robinia pseudoacacia

Bladder campion Silene vulgaris

Bouncing bet Saponaria officinalis

Bull thistle Cirsium vulgare

Canada bluegrass Poa compressa

Chicory Cichorium intybus

Clover Trifolium spp.

Dandelion Taraxacum officinale

Goat’s beard Tragopogon sp.

Hawkweed Hieracium caespitosum

Heal-all Prunella vulgaris

Honeysuckle Lonicera sp.

Lombardy popular Populus nigra var. italica

Mossy stonecap Sedum acre

Mullein Verbascum thapsus

Ox-eye daisy Chrysanthemum leucanthemum

Quack grass Agropyron repens

Redtop Agrostis gigantea

Scots pine Pinus sylvestris

Smooth brome Bromus inermus

Spotted knapweed Centaurea maculosa

Tall fescue Festuca arundinacea

Timothy Phleum pratense

White sweet clover Melilotus alba

White poplar Populus alba

Wild carrot Daucus carota

Yarrow Achillea millefolium
RARE PLANTS & ANIMALS

60

RARE PLANTS OF THE DUNES AND ASSOCIATED WETLANDS

Common Name Latin Name South North South North South North South North

Alga pondweed Potamogeton confervoides X

American dune wild-rye Elymus mollis S SS

American shore-grass Littorella uniflora var. americana S X

Auricled twayblade Listera auriculata S

Bald-rush Psilocarya scirpoides M

Beauty sedge Carex concinna M,H

Black-fruited spike-rush Eleocharis melanocarpa M

Blue wild-rye Elymus glaucus S

Butterwort Pinguicula vulgaris M,H

Calypso Calypso bulbosa M,H,S M,S M,S

Canada rice-grass Oryzopsis canadensis X

Carey’s smartweed Polygonum careyi M

Climbing fumitory Adlumia fungosa H MM

Cross-leaved milkwort Polygala cruciata M

Douglas’s hawthorn Crataegus douglasii S S

Downy oat-grass Trisetum spicatum S

Dunewort or prairie moonwort Botrychium campestre M,S

Dwarf lake iris Iris lacustris H,M M

Dwarf-bulrush Hemicarpha micrantha M

English sundew Drosera anglica X

Fascicled broom-rape Orobanche fasciculata M M

Frost grape Vitis vulpina M

Ginseng Panax quinquefolius M M

Hill’s thistle Cirsium hillii M

Houghton’s goldenrod Solidago houghtonii M,H M

Lake Huron tansy Tanacetum huronense M,H,S M,S M,S

Lapland buttercup Ranunculus lapponicus M

Meadow-beauty Rhexia virginica M

Moonwort, acute-leaved Botrychium acuminatum S

Moonwort, goblin Botrychium mormo S

Moonwort, western Botrychium hesperium S

Northern appressed clubmoss Lycopodiella subappressa M X

Orange grass Hypericum gentianoides M

Panicled hawkweed Hieracium paniculatum M

Panicled screw-stem Bartonia paniculata X

Pinedrops Pterospora andromedea H,M,S S

Pitcher’s thistle Cirsium pitcheri H,M H,M H,M H,M M M,S

Pumpelly’s brome grass Bromus pumpellianus M,S M,S M,S

Ram’s head lady’s-slipper Cypripedium arietinum H M S

Rose or swamp mallow Hibiscus moscheutos M

Rose pink Sabatia angularis M

Round-fruited loosestrife Ludwigia sphaerocarpa M

Sand grass Triplasis purpurea M

Satiny willow Salix pellita S

Sedge Carex platyphylla M

Sedge Carex seorsa M

Showy orchis Galearis spectabilis M

Spotted pondweed Potamogeton pulcher M

Stitchwort Stellaria longipes M,S M,S M,S

Tall beak-rush Rhynchospora macrostachya M

Tall green milkweed Asclepias hirtella H

Tuberous Indian plantain Cacalia plantaginea H H

Whorled mountain mint Pycnanthemum verticillatum M

Wiegand’s sedge Carex wiegandii X

Wild bean Strophostyles helvula M

Wild oatgrass Danthonia intermedia M

Yellow ladies’-tresses Spiranthes ochroleuca M

Zigzag bladderwort Utricularia subulata M

Codes: H = Lake Huron, M = Lake Michigan, S = Lake Superior,

X = inland dunes (associated with glacial lake beds, often several miles inland from present Great Lake shorelines)

Bold indicates strong association between dune community and the plant or animal species.

Dune &

Swale Complex

(Linear Dunes)

Parabolic

Dunes

Perched

Dunes

Transverse

Dunes
61

AND NATURAL COMMUNITIES

Parabolic

Dunes

Perched

Dunes

Transverse

Dunes

Dune &

Swale Complex

(Linear Dunes)

RARE ANIMALS OF THE DUNES AND ASSOCIATED WETLANDS

Common Name Latin Name South North South North South North South North

AMPHIBIANS

Blanchard’s cricket frog Acris crepitans blanchardi M

BIRDS

Bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus H M,H,S M,S M,S X

Black tern Chlidonias niger S

Black-backed woodpecker Picoides arcticus M,H,S X

Common loon Gavia immer X

Merlin Falco columbarius S X

Osprey Pandion haliaetus S,M,H X

Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus M

Piping plover Charadrius melodus M,H,S M M M,S

Tern, caspian Sterna caspia M M

Tern, common Sterna hirundo HH M M

Tern, Forester’s Sterna foresteri H

Warbler, cerulean Dendroica cerulea M

Warbler, prairie Dendroica discolor M M M

INSECTS - BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS

Aweme borer Papaipema aweme M

Dune cutworm Euxoa aurulenta M

Frigga fritillary Boloria frigga S X

Grizzled skipper Pyrgus centaureae wyandot H

INSECTS - CICADAS AND HOPPERS

Spittlebug Philaenarcys killa M

INSECTS - DRAGONFLIES

Hine’s emerald Somatochlora hineana H,M

Incurvate emerald Somatochlora incurvata S X

INSECTS - GRASSHOPPERS AND CRICKETS

Lake Huron locust Trimerotropis huroniana H M,H,S M,H,S M,S

Pinetree cricket Oecanthus pini M

MAMMALS

Moose Alces alces X

Vole, prairie Microtus ochrogaster M

Vole, woodland Microtus pinetorum M

REPTILES

Eastern fox snake Elaphe vulpina gloydi H

Turtle, eastern box Terrapene carolina carolina M M

Turtle, spotted Clemmys guttata M

Turtle, wood Clemmys insculpta M

Codes: H = Lake Huron, M = Lake Michigan, S = Lake Superior,

X = inland dunes (associated with glacial lake beds, often several miles inland from present Great Lake shorelines)

Bold indicates strong association between dune community and the plant or animal species.

RARE PLANT COMMUNITIES ASSOCIATED WITH DUNES AND DUNE WETLANDS

Plant Community South North South North South North South North

Coastal plain marsh M

Lakeplain oak opening H

Lakeplain wet prairie H

Lakeplain wet-mesic prairie H

Codes: H = Lake Huron, M = Lake Michigan, S = Lake Superior,

X = inland dunes (associated with glacial lake beds, often several miles inland from present Great Lake shorelines)

Bold indicates strong association between dune community and the plant or animal species.

Parabolic

Dunes

Perched

Dunes

Transverse

Dunes

Dune &

Swale Complex

(Linear Dunes)
Atlas of Critical Dunes.

Michigan Department of

Natural Resources Land and

Water Management Division.

1989. (now in Michigan DEQ)

A Field Guide to Great Lakes

Coastal Plants. Walter J.

Hoagman. Michigan Sea Grant

Extension. 1994.

Discovering Great Lakes Dunes.

Elizabeth Brockwell-Tillman

and Earl Wolf. Michigan State

University Extension, Michigan

Sea Grant, and Gillette Natural

History Association. 1998.

Dune Country: A Hiker’s Guide

to the Indiana Dunes. Glenda

Daniel. Swallow Press. 1984.

Dune Type Inventory and

Barrier Dune Classification

Study of Michigan’s Lake

Michigan Shore. William R.

Buckler. Report of Investigation

23, Geological Survey Division,

Department of Natural Resources. 1979.

Geology of Michigan. John A.

Dorr, Jr. and Donald F.

Eschman. University of

Michigan Press. 1970.

Great Lakes Dune Ecosystems.

Michigan State University

Extension. 1998.

Grand Mere. Grand Mere

Association. Kalamazoo Nature

Center. 1973.

RECOMMENDED DUNE LITERATURE

Michigan’s Sand Dunes. Steven

E. Wilson. Pamphlet 7,

Michigan Department of

Natural Resources, Geological

Survey Division.

Michigan Coastal Dunes: a

heritage worth saving. Natural

Heritage Program. Michigan

Department of Natural Resources. Poster.

Sand Dunes of the Great Lakes.

Edna and C. J. Elfont. Sleeping

Bear Press. 1997.

Up and Down the Dunes. Emma

Pitcher. Shirley Heinze

Environmental Fund. 1987.

Arbogast, A. F., and W. L.

Loope. 1999. Maximumlimiting ages of Lake Michigan

coastal dunes: their correlation

with Holocene lake level

history. Journal of Great Lakes

Research 25: 372-382.

Cowles, H. C. 1899. The

ecological relations of the

vegetation on the sand dunes of

Lake Michigan. Botanical

Gazette 27: 95-391.

SELECTED SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES

Guire, K. E. and E. G. Voss.

1963. Distribution of distinctive plants in the Great Lakes

region. Michigan Botanist 2:

99-114.

Hamze, S. I, and C. L. Jolls.

2000. Germination ecology of

a federally threatened endemic

thistle, Cirsium pitcheri, of the

Great Lakes. American

Midland Naturalist 143: 141-

153.

Lichtner, J. 1998. Primary

succession and forest development on coastal Lake Michigan

sand dunes. Ecological

Monographs 68: 487-510.

Olson, J. 1958. Rates of

succession and soil changes on

southern Lake Michigan sand

dunes. Botanical Gazette 119:

125-170.

Thompson, T. A. 1992.

Beach-ridge development and

lake-level variation in southern

Lake Michigan. Sedimentary

Geology 80: 305-318.

62
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Funding

This project was funded in part

under the federal Coastal Zone

Management Act of 1972, as

amended, Office of Ocean and

Coastal Resource Management, National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration,

U.S. Department of Commerce

through the Michigan Coastal

Management Program,

Michigan Department of

Environmental Quality.

Additional funding was

provided by the Michigan

Chapter of The Nature

Conservancy, the Michigan

Nongame Program, the

Office of the Great Lakes of

the MI DEQ, and the Coastal

Program of the U.S. Fish &

Wildlife Service.

Author

Dennis A. Albert

Design and Graphics

Chris VanWyck

of Ciesa & Associates

Reference this

publication as:

Albert, Dennis A. 2000.

Borne of the Wind: An

Introduction to the Ecology

of Michigan Sand Dunes.

Michigan Natural Features

Inventory. 63p.

Contributors

Becca Boehm and Kevin

Gardiner assisted with photo

scanning. Elizabeth

Brockwell-Tillman provided

inspiration, enthusiasm,

intimate knowledge of the

dunes, and access to many

State Parks photos. Phyllis J.

Higman provided exotic plant

tables. Maureen Houghton

provided guidance, enthusiastic review, and photos. The

Nature Conservancy provided

access to their photo collection. Michael R. Penskar

assisted with publication

concept and layout, editing,

and provided exotic plant

tables. Mary L. Rabe assisted

with publication concept and

layout. Yvonne Rolandson

provided access to graphics

from the Nongame Poster

and helpful editorial advice.

Earl Wolf provided crosssectional diagrams, inspiration, many photos, and access

to the State Parks photo files.

Photo Contributors

Dennis A. Albert, Betty

Darling Cottrille, Powell

Cottrille, Ted Cline (Photair,

Inc.), Susan R. Crispin,

David L. Cuthrell, Department of Environmental

Quality staff, Jeff Dykehouse,

David Ewert, James Harding,

Janet Haas, Samara Hamze,

Maureen Houghton, Ken

Jacobsen, Jr., Dave Kenyon,

Walter Loope, Harold E.

Malde, Douglas Pearsall,

Michael R. Penskar, Donald

Petersen, Gary Reese, Todd

Thompson, R. R. Torresen,

David F. Wisse, Earl Wolf.

Editors

David Ewert, Christy Fox,

Maureen Houghton,

Robert Kavetsky (USFWS),

Michael A. Kost, John T.

Legge, Tracy Mehan, John J.

Paskus, Michael R. Penskar,

Laraine Reynolds, Suzanne

Ridge, Yvonne Rolandson,

Judith D. Soule, Earl Wolf.

Front Cover:

Nordhouse Dunes.

Photo by David F. Wisse

Back Cover:

Aerial photo by Ted Cline (Photair, Inc.)

Child and box turtle. Photo courtesy of Earl Wolf

Michigan Natural Features Inventory

Mason Building

Box 30444 • Lansing, MI 48909-7944

Phone: 517-373-1552

63
Michigan

Natural

Features

Inventory