Interdunal wetland
Encyclopedia
An interdunal wetland or interdunal pond is a water-filled depression between coastal sand dunes. It may be formed either by wind erosion or by dunal encroachment on an existing wetland. The wind erosion process involves wind scooping out sufficient sand to reach the water table
, and typically occurs behind the first line of foredunes.
Because they are typically very shallow, interdunal wetlands warm quickly, and provide an abundant source of invertebrate
s eaten by many species of shorebirds. Many interdunal wetlands are ephemeral, drying out during periods of low rain or low water.
In the Great Lakes
region of North America
, interdunal communities are typically mildly calcareous
and dominated by rush
es, sedge
s and shrubs. They are tentatively classified as G2, or globally imperiled, under the NatureServe
rankings.
A distinction is sometimes made between interdunal and intradunal wetlands such as pannes, which form within a single dune as part of a a blowout
.
Water table
The water table is the level at which the submarine pressure is far from atmospheric pressure. It may be conveniently visualized as the 'surface' of the subsurface materials that are saturated with groundwater in a given vicinity. However, saturated conditions may extend above the water table as...
, and typically occurs behind the first line of foredunes.
Because they are typically very shallow, interdunal wetlands warm quickly, and provide an abundant source of invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s eaten by many species of shorebirds. Many interdunal wetlands are ephemeral, drying out during periods of low rain or low water.
In the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
region of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, interdunal communities are typically mildly calcareous
Calcareous
Calcareous is an adjective meaning mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate, in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines.-In zoology:...
and dominated by rush
Juncus
Juncus is a genus in the plant family Juncaceae. It consists of some 200 to 300 or more species of grassy plants commonly called rushes...
es, sedge
Cyperaceae
Cyperaceae are a family of monocotyledonous graminoid flowering plants known as sedges, which superficially resemble grasses or rushes. The family is large, with some 5,500 species described in about 109 genera. These species are widely distributed, with the centers of diversity for the group...
s and shrubs. They are tentatively classified as G2, or globally imperiled, under the NatureServe
NatureServe
NatureServe is a non-profit conservation organization whose mission is to provide the scientific basis for effective conservation action. NatureServe and its network of natural heritage programs are the leading source for information about rare and endangered species and threatened ecosystems in...
rankings.
A distinction is sometimes made between interdunal and intradunal wetlands such as pannes, which form within a single dune as part of a a blowout
Blowout (geology)
Blowouts are sandy depressions in a sand dune ecosystem caused by the removal of sediments by wind.Blowouts occur in partially vegetated dunefields or sandhills. A blowout forms when a patch of protective vegetation is lost, allowing strong winds to "blow out" sand and form a depression...
.