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Borne of the Wind: Michigan Sand Dunes
Sand dunes are among the most rugged and beautiful natural wonders of Michigan's shorelines. These sandy edifices-at once substantial and ephemeral-are the most extensive freshwater dunes in the world, so immense they are visible from outer space. The coastal dunes are also extraordinarily fertile, supporting a multitude of plants and animals.
Borne of the Wind describes the environmental factors necessary for dune creation in an easy-to-understand format, introducing readers to the rich ecology of Michigan's dunes. Each of the distinct types of dunes encountered along the Great Lakes shoreline is explained and illustrated with color photographs and line drawings, while color photographs of the plants and animals found in duneland areas complement the story of these fragile, ever-changing landscapes.
For scholars and enthusiasts alike, Borne of the Wind provides a comprehensive and colorful introduction to one of our finest yet least-understood natural features.
Borne of the Wind describes the environmental factors necessary for dune creation in an easy-to-understand format, introducing readers to the rich ecology of Michigan's dunes. Each of the distinct types of dunes encountered along the Great Lakes shoreline is explained and illustrated with color photographs and line drawings, while color photographs of the plants and animals found in duneland areas complement the story of these fragile, ever-changing landscapes.
For scholars and enthusiasts alike, Borne of the Wind provides a comprehensive and colorful introduction to one of our finest yet least-understood natural features.
64 pages, Paperback
First published April 10, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 23, 2018
This was a tightly written, informative, and very accessible guide to the geology and ecology of the sand dunes of Lake Michigan as they occur on both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of the state of Michigan. Packed with information, maps, and lots of color photographs, these 62 pages discuss how dunes form, the different types of dunes, features of the different types of dunes, the different ecological zones on Michigan sandy beaches including associated nearby wetlands and forests, threats to dunes and dune communities, a detailed listing and maps of places to visit dunes, and a multipage list of rare or endemic plants and animals of the various dune communities as well as list of common exotic plants of the dunes. There is also a page of recommended reading and select scientific articles.
The reader is introduced to a number of relevant terms associated with Michigan sand dunes, including saltation (the process where large volumes of medium and fine sand grains bounce along within a meter of the ground, important in dune formation and movement), ice foot (accumulated ice along a shoreline, something that can reduce wave erosion of the beach), and lag zone (areas of pebbles and cobbles, exposed when strong winds remove clay, silt, and sand), all illustrated with diagrams or photographs. Many plants and animals are also introduced, such as the red-backed salamander (anywhere from 200 to 3600 can live in an acre of coastal forest, feeding on a broad range of insects and other organisms, in turn providing food for birds, turtles, and small mammals), Houghton’s Goldenrod (Solidago houghtonii, a rare plant, only found along the moist margins of Great Lakes coastal wetlands in northern Michigan, expanding when water levels of the wetlands drop and contracting again when the water levels rise), Marram Grass (Ammophila breviligulata, the most important pioneering grass of the foredune and one of the most well adapted plants to sand burial), the Black-backed Woodpecker (which can become locally common when taking advantage of dead standing trees, the trees killed by insect infestations, beaver flooding, or fires), and Lake Huron Locust (Trimerotropis huroniana, a rare foredune insect that when it flies clicks and has exposed yellow wings, two distinctive field marks).
A really nice guidebook to anyone I would think exploring the dunes and dune communities. It isn’t a field guide per se to the plants and animals found there but can provide an excellent starting point to either making identifications of what a visitor encounters or making lists of organisms to look for. I liked how an understanding of what types of dunes one encounters and the different dune zones can lead to an understanding of what plants and animals might be seen, something this book did a good job with. The book was an easy read, no real narrative or personable “you are there feel,” just a good not too technical introduction to an interesting ecological region, well-illustrated with gorgeous color photographs.
The reader is introduced to a number of relevant terms associated with Michigan sand dunes, including saltation (the process where large volumes of medium and fine sand grains bounce along within a meter of the ground, important in dune formation and movement), ice foot (accumulated ice along a shoreline, something that can reduce wave erosion of the beach), and lag zone (areas of pebbles and cobbles, exposed when strong winds remove clay, silt, and sand), all illustrated with diagrams or photographs. Many plants and animals are also introduced, such as the red-backed salamander (anywhere from 200 to 3600 can live in an acre of coastal forest, feeding on a broad range of insects and other organisms, in turn providing food for birds, turtles, and small mammals), Houghton’s Goldenrod (Solidago houghtonii, a rare plant, only found along the moist margins of Great Lakes coastal wetlands in northern Michigan, expanding when water levels of the wetlands drop and contracting again when the water levels rise), Marram Grass (Ammophila breviligulata, the most important pioneering grass of the foredune and one of the most well adapted plants to sand burial), the Black-backed Woodpecker (which can become locally common when taking advantage of dead standing trees, the trees killed by insect infestations, beaver flooding, or fires), and Lake Huron Locust (Trimerotropis huroniana, a rare foredune insect that when it flies clicks and has exposed yellow wings, two distinctive field marks).
A really nice guidebook to anyone I would think exploring the dunes and dune communities. It isn’t a field guide per se to the plants and animals found there but can provide an excellent starting point to either making identifications of what a visitor encounters or making lists of organisms to look for. I liked how an understanding of what types of dunes one encounters and the different dune zones can lead to an understanding of what plants and animals might be seen, something this book did a good job with. The book was an easy read, no real narrative or personable “you are there feel,” just a good not too technical introduction to an interesting ecological region, well-illustrated with gorgeous color photographs.
April 13, 2020
A great little reference book with bright colorful images and maps.
January 24, 2017
I bought this little book about Michigan sand dunes during a vacation and fully intended to read it the moment I returned home. I learned a lot about the dunes' formation as well as their flora and fauna. I didn't see any of the "fauna" while we were at Sleeping Bear Dunes--I didn't look close enough! I was too impressed by how high above Lake Michigan we were standing!
April 25, 2011
Succinct, great pictures, explains dune types, plants and animals. Maps to show where you can see the different types of dunes all over Michigan.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews