Dune Succession

I was struck by the ways that grasses, shrubs, and trees steadily colonized the sand dunes. Farther inland, the dunes make up the hills in the northwestern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Even in what seems like "normal" woods, if you get below the top level of soil, it's old sand dunes.

This picture shows the process in action, with strips of dune in various stages of succession.

Dunes Trail, Sleeping Bear Dune National Lakeshore, June 2007.