DUNE STABILIZATION WITH VEGETATION ON THE 

 OUTER BANKS OF NORTH CAROLINA 



by 



W. W. Woodhouse, Jr. and R. E. Hanes 



I I NTRODUCT I ON 



North Carol i na has over 250 mi 1 es of Atlantic coastl i ne essential ly 

 made up of a chain of low, sandy, barrier islands. These are separated from 

 the mainland only by marshland at some points, but by as much as 30 miles of 

 open water at others. The preservation of these Outer Banks is important to 

 the State and the nation not only for their recreational values, but for the 

 protection from the open sea their presence affords the mainland. 



While there is little likelihood that these islands will disappear in 

 the foreseeable future, wind and water erosion, accelerated by man's activ- 

 ities and a recent series of severe storms, has brought about a rather 

 critical situation on many parts of the Banks. Large stretches have been 

 reduced to essentially bare sand flats with elevations of only 4 or 5 feet 

 above mean sea level. 



The original purpose of this investigation was to make possible an 

 accelerated and more effective revegetation program on the beach and dune 

 areas with a view to protecting the low areas. Work the first two years 

 was concentrated primarily on fertilizer trials on the Banks, utilizing 

 stands that already existed. In 1963, in cooperation with North Carolina 

 Forestry Division, steps were taken to develop a supply of planting stock 

 suitable for experimental plantings. With the availability of additional 

 funds, trials have been expanded to include a number of different phases of 

 the revegetation process. While many of the results are quite preliminary 

 in nature, publication at this time is desirable to provide acutely needed 

 factual information for planning and carrying out sound programs of re- 

 vegetation in this region. 



Until very recently studies on the propagation and growth of the dune 

 grasses in this country have been confined largely to the West Coast (4)*. 

 Attention there and in Northern Europe has been concentrated primarily on 

 European beachgrass, Ammophilia arenaria, a species not very well adapted 

 to the Atlantic Coast. 



Planting of the dune grasses has been going on along the East Coast 



for some time (3) (5). Recently, studies have been initiated at several 



points to obtain information that would be more applicable to these 

 conditions (6) (10) (II). 



* Numbers shown in this manner refer to LITERATURE CITED on page 45. 



