per hectare divided into two or three applications beginning in early 

 spring should be used for a year or two. This should be reduced to a 

 single application in early spring at intervals of 1 to several years as 

 soon as growth permits. Vigor is usually maintained after sand supply is 

 reduced or cut off entirely with a single application of 30 kilograms of 

 nitrogen per hectare applied at 1- to 2-year intervals. 



Management requirements for sea oats are very similar to those for 

 bitter panicum. Protection from foot and vehicular traffic is very 

 important and storm- or man-induced breaks must be repaired. Sea oats 

 stems with seed heads need special protection from harvest in many areas 

 due to the growing demand for them for ornamental purposes. This can 

 have a significant effect on future dune development and stability by 

 depleting the seed supply and consequently the potential for natural 

 spread and replacement of vegetation. Harvesting of seed stalks does 

 not harm the live plants as the flowering stems die and are replaced by 

 new tillers from the basal nodes. Sea oats seeds represent the major 

 natural vegetative repair mechanism in the foredune area in this region. 



(c) Other Species . There are a number of other pioneer 

 zone plants that commonly occur along the gulf coast and contribute to 

 dune building and stabilization but are not ordinarily planted for this 

 purpose. 



Railroad vine {Ipomoea pes-cappae) is one of the more prominent plants. 

 This is a robust vine that is capable of rapidly spreading over foredunes 

 and back beach (Fig. 30). It is not planted because it is less effective 

 in trapping sand than the dune grasses. There are also other smaller 

 Ipomoea spp. 



Figure 30. Railroad vine, 



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