California foredune plant biogeomorphology

Abstract

Foredune plant species are a prime example of biogeomorphic agents, building foredunes by stopping the landward movement of sand and holding it in place. The association of these plant species with specific landforms and their biogeomorphic roles in the process of foredune building for California was previously not well understood. Studies of foredune plants have focused on a narrow geographic range or addressed purely ecological conditions associated with foredune plants, omitting the biogeomorphic role of these species. This study derives foredune plant-landform associations across a wide latitude of the California coastline and synthesizes a conceptual model of dune biogeomorphic succession that encompasses prior, geographically restricted studies. Measurements of habitat conditions (distance and elevation from high water line and slope angle) were used in a cluster analysis to produce groups of species that were compared with groups identified in previous studies. From these groups, a conceptual model of California’s foredune biogeomorphology was constructed. Groups resulting from the cluster analysis (leading-edge pioneer builders, mid-strand pioneer stabilizers, sheltered secondary builders, sheltered secondary stabilizers, and sheltered tertiary stabilizers) correspond well with groups described in previous studies and define functional groups that can be applied across the state to understand the process of dune building.