stabilize

Hawaii introduced red mangroves in 1902 to stabilize Molokai mudflats; they spread to canals and reduced habitat for endangered waterbirds

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Red mangroves, introduced to Hawaii in 1902 to stabilize Molokai mudflats, now line parts of the coast and its canals. (Wikimedia Commons)

Most of us have probably tried a quick fix at some point that solved one problem but ended up causing another. Hawaii did something like that, but with a tree. A 1998 paper by U.S. Forest Service researcher James Allen explains that red mangroves arrived on the island of Molokai in 1902. They were mainly … Read more

In 1910, Oregon planted European beachgrass to stabilize shifting dunes; it spread along the coast, reshaped the landscape and squeezed open sandy habitat used by native wildlife

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In 1910, Oregon planted European beachgrass to stabilize shifting dunes; it spread along the coast, reshaped the landscape and squeezed open sandy habitat used by native wildlife

European beachgrass (Ammophila arenaria) is now well established in the Oregon dunes In 1910, Oregon introduced European beachgrass near Coos Bay to stabilise its shifting dunes. The plant trapped moving sand and helped hold the dunes in place as it was meant to. But as the beachgrass spread, it changed the coastal landscape and reduced … Read more