The Conservation Management Institute has prepared a vegetation mapping report for Fire Island for December 1999 - May 2000. There are several images here, so please give your browser a minute or so to upload. The dunes are one of the most vital features of Fire Island. Primary dunes protect everything behind them from the force of the wind and waves. However, nature builds primary dunes very slowly.
Winds deposit the sand, then beach grass takes root.
The root system of living beach grass holds the sand in place. Layers of sand and beach grass slowly mound higher and higher. A fungus in the roots helps bind the sand to the plant. A large dune takes years to form, yet it can easily and quickly be destroyed if people walk on it. Please respect these fragile areas and walk only on beaches or boardwalks.