(1) North Atlantic Region . The North Atlantic region extends 

 from the Canadian border to the Virginia Capes with a shoreline of about 

 1,660 kilometers. For planting purposes, the mid-Atlantic region is com- 

 bined with the North Atlantic region. American beachgrass is the dominant 

 foredune plant for this region. 



(2) South Atlantic Region . This region covers a rather wide 

 range, climatically, from the Virginia Capes to Key West, a shoreline 

 distance of about 1,900 kilometers. The Atlantic coasts of central and 

 southern Florida are arbitrarily included in this region, because their 

 separation is not useful from the narrow view of barrier dune building 

 and protection. Many subtropical and tropical plants are used in the 

 southern half of the Atlantic coast of Florida near the beach for orna- 

 mental purposes but the dune-building species do not differ significantly 

 from the remainder of the region. The northern boundary of this region 

 coincides with the northern limit of sea oats. Sea oats is the dominant 

 foredune plant of this region. 



(3) Gulf of Mexico Region . This region includes the gulf coast 

 of Florida and extends around the gulf to the Mexican border, a distance 

 of about 2,600 kilometers, but about 500 to 600 kilometers is marshy with 

 no beach or dune development. Climate varies from humid to semiarid but 

 foredune species planted, primarily sea oats and bitter panicum {Paniaim 

 CMarum) , are the same throughout the region. 



(4) North Pacific Region . This region extends from the Canadian 

 border to Monterey, California, a distance of about 1,450 kilometers. The 

 southern limit is based on the transition zone between the grass-dominated 

 communities to the north and the forb-dominated communities to the south 

 (Barbour, DeJong, and Johnson, 1976) . European beachgrass (^4. arenaria) 

 and American dunegrass [Elymus mollis) dominate this region. 



(5) South Pacific Region . This region extends southward from 

 Monterey, California, to the Mexican border for about 650 kilometers of 

 coast that has a pronounced decrease in rainfall from north to south. 

 Dominant plants are forbs such as sea fig {Carpohrotus spp.), sagewort 

 [Artemisia paynooephala) , beach bur [ArribTOsin spp.), and sand verbena 

 [Abrona spp . ) . 



(6) Great Lakes Region . This includes all of the shores of the 

 Great Lakes within the United States. However, dune development is con- 

 fined largely to the Michigan and Indiana shores of Lake Michigan. 

 American beachgrass and Prairie sandreed {Calamovilla longifolia) are 

 dominant . 



d. Major Foredune Plants . Bare dunes and dune fields along the 

 coasts of this country are stabilized by usually planting with a small 

 group of pioneer plants, perennial dune grasses. The major grasses are: 

 European beachgrass on the North and South Pacific coasts; American 

 dunegrass on the North Pacific coast; American beachgrass on the North 

 Pacific, North Atlantic, and Great Lakes coasts; bitter panicum along 



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