Wildlife habitats are affected by dunes eroding. Shoreline birds' nesting and feeding areas are disturbed or destroyed, creating a vulnerable environment, especially for the young exposed to prey and weather. Habitats for burrowing animals are destroyed without plants and their root systems to anchor sand down. Unwittingly, human actions lead to the destruction of dune grasses by trampling the plants down, permanently damaging the roots. Off-road vehicles destroy plants and animal burrows.
During a high-velocity storm, dunes help absorb the impact of pounding waves, reducing the possibility of flooding nearby towns. Ironically, the overdevelopment of residential areas along shorelines has led to the quicker erosion of dunes, which in turns leaves homeowners more vulnerable. Without dunes homes and businesses would not survive the impact of a storm.
Much of dune erosion has to do with the destruction of plant life. Without plants, the wind would blow the sand away. These particular plants are called sand-binders, as they weave roots and leaves called runners throughout the dunes, binding the sand together. As sand builds up, creating a dune, the plants grow taller and their roots longer. Efforts are underway to re-establish native, sand-binding plants across the coastal zones of the United States and worldwide.
In some areas, hardy substitutes of native grasses can stabilize eroding dunes, though this can cause unintended consequences. Studies from Canterbury in New Zealand using substitute grasses showed changes in the dunes. The grasses altered both the build up of the dune and its shape, making it higher and steeper than it would be with just its native grasses. Although this seems like a benefit, as a result, the nesting habitat for some coastal birds diminished substantially. The nesting birds cannot see their prey through the thick stands of substitute marram grass, making them vulnerable. New Zealand's native grass, pingao, is less dense, giving nesting birds a wide field of vision.
