Buried alive
Shifting sand makes it very hard for seedlings to colonise beaches or dunes. So special plants are needed to exploit this habitat. In the UK and parts of North America, the main dune species is marram grass, which actually thrives by being covered by sand. When buried, it sends up new buds and lays down new roots. In time, sand becomes trapped between plant stems and the dunes gradually build up. Once the dune is established other plant species can flourish.