A Self Guided Hike on the West Beach Succession Trail

BLOWOUT & WOODLAND DUNE

BLOWOUT - The steps were built in a bare sandy area called a blowout. Heavy human use destroyed the marram grass and the wind whistled through to carve out this depression. Sand blasted or buried, most of the plants died. A tree graveyard of blackened tree trunks once buried by sand is now being re-exposed as the sand moves on. Little decomposition occurs in the sand so exposed tree trunks can still be erect and retain their original shape.

WOODLAND DUNE COMMUNITY

On a hot summer’s day it’s a welcome relief to enter the refreshing coolness of the woodland dune community. Black oak, hickory, ash, and basswood trees form the canopy of tall trees. Witch hazel, sassafras, dogwoods, and ironwood trees grow underneath. The diversity of plants indicates this dune is far enough from the lake to be protected from wind and winter storms.

Plants in this community compete for sunlight, nutrients and moisture. When a tall tree dies and falls over, the bonus of sunlight can cause a spurt of growth in the young trees below. For a few years, lupines, ferns and other sun loving plants might grow until young trees, benefiting from the addition sunlight, reach the canopy.

Quick Activity – Look at the leaves of the young oak trees that grow in the shade of the canopy. Compare the size of the leaves of the young trees to the leaves on the older trees growing in the sunlight high above you. (You might also see some of these leaves on the ground in the fall.) Oaks grow tall reaching into the sunlight. To prevent moisture loss the leaves are small at the top. To get enough sunlight to grow in the shade, young trees have large leaves that come out earlier in the spring than the older trees’ leaves.

Rich with food for animals, a hike through this community might offer evidence of raccoons, deer, skunks, opossum, squirrels, chipmunks, red foxes and rabbits. Over 100 species of birds have been seen in the oak forest community. Woodpeckers, Blue Jays, and Chickadees are seen all year round. A quiet group has the best chance of seeing these animals.

Quick Activity - This is the last community for the students to observe the sunlight, air temperature. Have one student step off the boardwalk to dig a hole for soil temperature and moisture and report his/her findings.

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