well-developed foredune ridge, nor did it have the depression landward of the 

 dune providing the mesic habitat favorable to the species more commonly found 

 behind the dunes resulting from grass plantings. Only nine species were 

 common and ground cover averaged only 17 percent . Because the foredune ridge 

 was not well formed, the sand deposition was greater in this area and also 

 covered much of the prehurricane vegetation. 



A midisland bare dune field migrating toward Laguna Madre continues to 

 move at about 27 meters annually. Although plant succession on beach 

 foredunes occurs slowly, rapid plant succession is taking place here. Early 

 colonizers are bermuda grass, red love grass, and species of Junaus and 

 Cypevus. Species more indicative of a mature grassland, such as seacoast 

 bluestem, soon follow. Apparently, this rapid successional advance is 

 possible due to lack of cattle grazing, minimal recreational disturbance, 

 reestablishment of beach foredunes, and the absence of salt spray. At the 

 current rate of revegetation, this bare dune field should entirely disappear 

 within a relatively few years. 



49 



