| Abstract: | A number of mechanisms prevent blowouts in the dunes along the Dutch-coast from growing beyond a certain length. Plants play an important role in the stabilization process. Algae are the first plants to colonize the blowouts. Their filaments are surrounded by mucilaginous sheaths which adhere to the sand grains and increase the resistance of the sand to entrainment by wind. This suggests that artificially induced algal growths might be used in cheap, and ecologically justifiable, stabilization measures. |
