Burial of Plants as a Selective Force in Sand Dunes

Abstract

In this chapter, I would like to emphasise three major objectives. The first major objective is to demonstrate relationships between vegetation and burial as an environmental force. It is important to know how individual species of foredunes are distributed in relation to the gradient in sand deposition.The second major objective is to show the responses of seeds, seedlings, and adult plants to burial episodes because each stage in the life cycle of a plant has a slightly different mechanism to cope with this stress. The third major objective is to examine the process of stimulation of growth under continued burial conditions and degeneration when burial ceases. It would be useful to critically evaluate the hypotheses generated over the past century and present experimental evidence in favour or against these hypotheses.