The sand dunes of the Great Lakes are very important. First, Lake Michigan has the biggest amount of lake-created dunes on earth. Second, it also draws tons of tourists to Michigan each year to see what many of us take for granted. A third importance of these dunes is endangered species, like pitchers thistle, thrive here. A fourth is that Monarch butterflies includes Michigan dunes in their immigration route. This is because milkweed, the primary food source for Monarch butterflies grows very well in the dunes ecosystem. The dunes are an essential in a Monarch's life.
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| Male Monarch Butterfly~ Picture from Kyler Scott's Camera- 7/25/10 |
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| Male Monarch Butterfly- Picture from Kyler Scott's Camera- 7/25/10 |
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| Kyler Scott Releasing a Monarch Butterfly~ Picture Taken from Kyler Scott's Camera- 7/25/10 |
A fifth is the examples of succession that occur in these dunes. You can see all the steps and processes of how it changes over the decades. Humans are doing a multitude of things to protect our dunes. There are a lot of organizations that promote the protection of sand dunes. Walkways, fences, and other structures are being built to protect current dune status and further erosion.
