Shaping the Surface Activity worksheet Instructions: Read through President Water's letter and the Sand Dunes: More Than Giant Heaps of Sand article. Complete the background questions and then plan your work in the rough draft section below. You will submit a completed recommendation letter at the bottom of the lab report.

Background
Answer the following questions based on the article Sand Dunes: More Than Giant Heaps of Sand. Use complete sentences.

What important role do sand dunes play?
How can sand dunes be saved?
How can sand dunes be rebuilt?
What would happen if the sand dunes in an area were destroyed?

Data Set
Review the data below and use it to rank the plants from most desirable (1) to least desirable (7). Important notes:

Native plants are plants original to a region.
Exotic plants have been introduced into an area.
Growth rate is the time required for the plant to reach maturity.
Lifespan is the length of time the plant is expected to live.
Stabilization rating is the ability of the plant to reduce erosion of the sand dune.
Dune Plant Exotic or Native Tolerant of Sea Spray Growth Rate Lifespan (years) Stabilization Ratingfree Characteristicspoints
American Beachgrass Exotic Yes Fast 10 Moderate Can be damaged by pedestrian traffic; may need annual maintenance
Coastal Panic Grass Native Moderately Moderate 14 Poor Cannot tolerate large deposits of sand; good wind barrier
Bitter Panicum Exotic Yes Slow 20 Poor Can provide cover for songbirds, water fowl, and small mammals
Salt Meadow Cordgrass Native No Moderate 20 Excellent Can become invasive and kill other vegetation
Seashore Elder Exotic No Moderate 14 Excellent Produces purple flowers and spicy fragrance; heavy cover can kill other vegetation
Sea Oats Native Yes Slow 20 Moderate Encourages burrowing animals
European Beachgrass Exotic Yes Fast 20 Excellent Invasive; can crowd out other vegetation
Rough Draft
Use this section to plan what you will write in the letter.

Data Analysis — Plant ranking:

Procedure: In two to four sentences, explain how you ranked the plants from most desirable to least desirable. Be sure to cite evidence from the data to support your rankings.

Closing Statement: In three to four sentences, explain how your plant rankings could protect the dunes.

Recommendation Letter

Now, we would like you to share your plant evaluations with Sandy Waters, President of Save the Shoreline. You will do this by writing Mr. Waters a letter. When writing your letter, be sure to use a traditional letter format. This means that your letter should include a greeting (Dear , ) a body, and a closing (Sincerely, ).

The body of your letter must include the following:

an opening that describes the procedure for ranking plants
all plant rankings
evidence from the data to support plant rankings
a closing that explains how plant rankings could protect the dunes
As always, be sure to use complete sentences and proper punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.