Protecting native plant species

By CARL E. FEATHER - Lifestyle Editor - cfeather@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

January 13, 2009 06:51 pm

— Mining sand from Walnut Beach could damage the population of at least three threatened species that make their home on these dunes.
Jim Bissell, curator of botany for the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, has studied the dunes and says there are populations of beach grass, beach pea and Oakes primrose on the dunes, all Ohio-threatened species.
In addition, the dunes themselves are quite rare, perhaps the best specimens of Lake Erie dunes to be found in Ohio. Bissell ranks them just a notch above those at Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve.
The Walnut Beach dunes were formed by the breakwater, which was built more than 100 years ago. Bissell says dunes existed on this stretch of the lake prior to construction of the breakwater, which traps the sand, but the wall has helped create dunes that are taller than the naturally occurring ones would have been.
The dunes are not protected. However, Bissell hopes educating the public about the uniqueness and fragility of the habitat will lead to greater appreciation and protection.
“The community needs to know it’s a very important system,” he says. “It’s an outstanding site for Ohio.”