has been conducted in Israel (Tsuriell, 1966), Australia (Barr, 1971) and South Africa 

 (Walsh, 1968). European beachgrass (Ammojjhih arenaria) is the species most widely used 

 for stabilization. 



In the United States, attempts at coastal dune stabilization were made in the early 18th 

 century. The colonists of Cape Cod caused accelerated erosion as early as 1703 by 

 deforesting sand areas (Westgate, 1904). These settlers soon realized their error and 

 attempted to control the eroding sand with grasses. 



Efforts to vegetate dunes in the United States began early in this century along the 

 Pacific Northwest coast (McLaughlin and Brown, 1942). Information gained from these and 

 later efforts are summarized in papers by Brown (1948), and Brown and Hafenrichter 

 (1948a, b; 1962); mostly European beachgrass, American beachgrass (Ammophila 

 breviligulata), and American dunegrass (Elymus mollis) were used in these dune stabilization 

 studies. 



Dune stabilization research along the Atlantic seaboard began later, mostly with 

 American beachgrass (Kucinski and Eisenmenger, 1943; Jagschitz, 1960; Zak and Bredakis, 

 1963; Augustine, et al., 1964; Zak, 1965; Jagschitz and Bell, 1966a, b; Hawk and Sharp, 

 1967). By transplanting, the natural distribution of this grass was extended along the North 

 Carolina coast (Stratton, 1957; Gibbs and Nash, 1961; Woodhouse and Hanes, 1967; Savage 

 and Woodhouse, 1968), and into South Carolina (Graetz, 1973). Dune stabilization with sea 

 oats, a barrier island grass of the southeastern Atlantic and gulf coasts, was studied by Davis, 

 1957, and by Woodhouse, Seneca, and Cooper, 1968. The only report on dune stabilization 

 research in coastal Texas has been by Gage (1970). 



Studies of barrier island dune vegetation, especially those relating vegetation and 

 environmental processes, have been conducted for years. Wells and Shunk (1938), and 

 Oosting and Billings (1942), studied the effects of salt spray on coastal plants; Boyce (1954) 

 conducted extensive research on the same topic. Seneca (1969; 1972a, b) tested the effects 

 of substrate salinity and temperature on several species of dune grasses, and offered further 

 explanations of distribution and zonation. Oosting (1954) synthesized all pertinent 

 literature since 1900, concerning the vegetation and environment of the southeastern United 

 States coast. Cooper (1958) and Chapman (1964) present succinct reviews of the role of 

 vegetation in dune development. Comprehensive autecological studies of U.S. dune grasses 

 are of sea oats (Wagner, 1964) and American beachgrass (Laing, 1958). 



III. STUDY AREA 



Padre Island in south Texas was selected as a study site because it is easily accessible 

 from the mainland, and has many denuded areas suitable for experimentation. The island is 

 about 110 miles long, extending from the south end of Corpus Christi Bay south to the 

 Brazos Santiago Pass, near the mouth of the Rio Grande (Fig. 1 ). The island is unbroken 

 except for Mansfield Channel, a manmade pass. Padre Island is 2 miles or more wide over 



