The Bahamas National Trust has long been on record as supporting the removal of Casuarinas from our island coastlines. Extensive research supports that removal of casuarinas from coastal areas and replanting of the dune ridge with native vegetation will restore the dune and provide an effective barrier against wave action. The Trust supports the removal of casuarinas from Saunders Beach and the moving of the road back from the shoreline as actions that will provide long term protection of the beach and the surrounding area.
Casuarina equisetifolia and casuarinas glauca are both listed in the National Invasive Species Strategy as plants that should be eradicated or controlled . There are some who find the casuarinas an attractive tree , tall and slender with dark green needlelike twigs, which can grow to over a hundred feet in height. It thrives in salty areas, sandy coastlines and is extremely salt tolerant. For those living close to shore who wanted a tree that would provide shade and help to break strong winds it seemed like the ideal plant to introduce to their coastal gardens. In the 1920’s when the Casuarina was introduced to The Bahamas as a hedge no one had any idea that this tree that seemed a perfect solution to their coastal landscaping problems would become such pest. While these trees may have aesthetic appeal to some and may have provided shade and windbreaks in many locations, this has been at a cost.
The fast growing deciduous tree with a soft wispy pine like appearance grows rapidly 5 – 10 feet per year. They are able to move into degraded or damaged areas and colonize the area into a monoculture or area where only casuarinas exist. Once established, it radically alters the temperature, light and soil chemistry of beach habitats, and inhibits the growth of native dune and beach vegetation, vital for coastal ecosystems. Unlike native shrubbery, the thick shallow roots of the Casuarina or Australian Pine make it much more susceptible to high winds, leading to increased beach and dune erosion and interference with nesting activities of sea turtles. In hurricane force winds they are often the first trees to fall. The dense shade caused by the thick Casuarina canopy prevents ground vegetation from getting the sunlight that they need. The mat of foliage prevents soil stabilizing dune vegetation such as railroad vine, sea purslane, beach morning glory , sea oats , bay bean and coral bean. These plants that are suited to the intense heat from the sand and most have strong root systems that bind the edges of the dune. Extensive scientific studies in the Bahamas and in Florida have established that casuarinas will prevent the growth of native vegetation resulting in the decline of the attendant sand dune and exposure to coast erosion.
As Neil Sealey pointed out in his article The Casuarina Controversy we only need to look at what happened at Saunders beach after Hurricanes Floyd, Michelle and Frances, after each of these storms, massive amounts of sand were carried across the road into the Shell Station and elsewhere, and property all along this section was threatened by flooding. One only needs to look at the successful beach restoration at Orange Hill, where native species have replaces invasives and there is now an attractive beach dune stabilized by dune vegetation and a wide and attractive beach.
The monoculture effect of casuarinas displaces native vegetation which provides food and shelter for wildlife. Casuarina invading coastal habitats affects the habitat of nesting sea birds, sea turtles and our highly endangered (IUCN red listed ) Iguana Species. To see the positive effects of the removal of invasive species from the shore line, one lonely needs to look at the study by R. Escobar of Loma Linda University, at Sandy Cay, Exuma which documents invasive Casuarina removal and rodent control and a direct increase in the Sandy Cay Iguana population Cyclura rileyi cristata from 100 to 400 in 10 years.
The Bahamas Government has a National Invasive Species Strategy which lists Casuarina glauca and Casuarina Equisetifolia and a number of other introduced species, and then recommends that they be eradicated or controlled. The strategy is available to the public at www. Bahamas.gov.bs or http://www.best.bs/. The BNT recommends that the public read the strategy which speaks to the impact of invasive species in the Bahamian context. The Bahamas National Trust implements as part of its management plans in national parks the aggressive removal of Casuarina, Brazilian Pepper, Melaleuca and Scaevola from park environs.
Good science and experts say that the answer to the coastal erosion at Saunders Beach is to relocate the road back from the shoreline, remove invasive species and provide parking areas behind the dune, with bridges over the dune to protect it. Misguided but well meaning citizens express the need to “save the casuarinas” a species that is listed as an invasive species in every country where it has been introduced. The government of the Bahamas is following the recommendations of its environmental agencies in the removal of casuarinas from Saunders Beach and in moving the road back from the shoreline. This shows a commitment to our National Invasive Species Strategy and to coastal restoration on New Providence. The Government is committed to replanting the Saunders Beach area with native vegetation which will assist in rebuilding the dune and ensure that our coastline is able to withstand storm surge in an era of climate change and sea level rise.
There is a need for good and accurate information to be available for the Bahamian Public. Opinion is not fact and the BNT will bring together specialists in the field of invasive species and coastal erosion for a public meeting in late September / early October to present and answer questions on these highly topical subjects.
The Bahamas National Trust has long been on record as supporting the removal of Casuarinas from our island coastlines. Extensive research supports that removal of casuarinas from coastal areas and replanting of the dune ridge with native vegetation will restore the dune and provide an effective barrier against wave action. The Trust supports the removal of casuarinas from Saunders Beach and the moving of the road back from the shoreline as actions that will provide long term protection of the beach and the surrounding area.
Casuarina equisetifolia and casuarinas glauca are both listed in the National Invasive Species Strategy as plants that should be eradicated or controlled . There are some who find the casuarinas an attractive tree , tall and slender with dark green needlelike twigs, which can grow to over a hundred feet in height. It thrives in salty areas, sandy coastlines and is extremely salt tolerant. For those living close to shore who wanted a tree that would provide shade and help to break strong winds it seemed like the ideal plant to introduce to their coastal gardens. In the 1920’s when the Casuarina was introduced to The Bahamas as a hedge no one had any idea that this tree that seemed a perfect solution to their coastal landscaping problems would become such pest. While these trees may have aesthetic appeal to some and may have provided shade and windbreaks in many locations, this has been at a cost.
The fast growing deciduous tree with a soft wispy pine like appearance grows rapidly 5 – 10 feet per year. They are able to move into degraded or damaged areas and colonize the area into a monoculture or area where only casuarinas exist. Once established, it radically alters the temperature, light and soil chemistry of beach habitats, and inhibits the growth of native dune and beach vegetation, vital for coastal ecosystems. Unlike native shrubbery, the thick shallow roots of the Casuarina or Australian Pine make it much more susceptible to high winds, leading to increased beach and dune erosion and interference with nesting activities of sea turtles. In hurricane force winds they are often the first trees to be felled. The dense shade caused by the thick Casuarina canopy prevents ground vegetation from getting the sunlight that they need. The mat of foliage prevents soil stabilizing dune vegetation such as railroad vine, sea purslane, beach morning glory , sea oats , bay bean and coral bean. These plants that are suited to the intense heat from the sand and most have strong root systems that bind the edges of the dune. Extensive scientific studies in the Bahamas and in Florida have established that casuarinas will prevent the growth of native vegetation resulting in the decline of the attendant sand dune and exposure to coast erosion.
As Neil Sealey pointed out in his article The Casuarina Controversy we only need to look at what happened at Saunders beach after Hurricanes Floyd, Michelle and Frances, after each of these storms, massive amounts of sand were carried across the road into the Shell Station and elsewhere, and property all along this section was threatened by flooding. One only needs to look at the successful beach restoration at Orange Hill, where native species have replaces invasives and there is now an attractive beach dune stabilized by dune vegetation and a wide and attractive beach.
The monoculture effect of casuarinas displaces native vegetation which provides food and shelter for wildlife. Casuarina invading coastal habitats affects the habitat of nesting sea birds, sea turtles and our highly endangered (IUCN red listed ) Iguana Species. To see the positive effects of the removal of invasive species from the shore line, one lonely needs to look at the study by R. Escobar of Loma Linda University, at Sandy Cay, Exuma which documents invasive Casuarina removal and rodent control and a direct increase in the Sandy Cay Iguana population Cyclura rileyi cristata from 100 to 400 in 10 years.
The Bahamas Government has a National Invasive Species Strategy which lists Casuarina glauca and Casuarina Equisetifolia and a number of other introduced species, and then recommends that they be eradicated or controlled. The strategy is available to the public at www. Bahamas.gov.bs or http://www.best.bs/. The BNT recommends that the public read the strategy which speaks to the impact of invasive species in the Bahamian context. The Bahamas National Trust implements as part of its management plans in national parks the aggressive removal of Casuarina, Brazilian Pepper, Melaleuca and Scaevola from park environs.
Good science and experts say that the answer to the coastal erosion at Saunders Beach is to relocate the road back from the shoreline, remove invasive species and provide parking areas behind the dune, with bridges over the dune to protect it. Misguided but well meaning citizens express the need to “save the casuarinas” a species that is listed as an invasive species in every country where it has been introduced. The government of the Bahamas is following the recommendations of its environmental agencies in the removal of casuarinas from Saunders Beach and in moving the road back from the shoreline. This shows a commitment to our National Invasive Species Strategy and to coastal restoration on New Providence. The Government is committed to replanting the Saunders Beach area with native vegetation which will assist in rebuilding the dune and ensure that our coastline is able to withstand storm surge in an era of climate change and sea level rise.
There is a need for good and accurate information to be available for the Bahamian Public. Opinion is not fact and the BNT will bring together specialists in the field of invasive species and coastal erosion for a public meeting in late September / early October to present and answer questions on these highly topical subjects.
The Bahamas National Trust has long been on record as supporting the removal of Casuarinas from our island coastlines. Extensive research supports that removal of casuarinas from coastal areas and replanting of the dune ridge with native vegetation will restore the dune and provide an effective barrier against wave action. The Trust supports the removal of casuarinas from Saunders Beach and the moving of the road back from the shoreline as actions that will provide long term protection of the beach and the surrounding area.
Casuarina equisetifolia and casuarinas glauca are both listed in the National Invasive Species Strategy as plants that should be eradicated or controlled . There are some who find the casuarinas an attractive tree , tall and slender with dark green needlelike twigs, which can grow to over a hundred feet in height. It thrives in salty areas, sandy coastlines and is extremely salt tolerant. For those living close to shore who wanted a tree that would provide shade and help to break strong winds it seemed like the ideal plant to introduce to their coastal gardens. In the 1920’s when the Casuarina was introduced to The Bahamas as a hedge no one had any idea that this tree that seemed a perfect solution to their coastal landscaping problems would become such pest. While these trees may have aesthetic appeal to some and may have provided shade and windbreaks in many locations, this has been at a cost.
The fast growing deciduous tree with a soft wispy pine like appearance grows rapidly 5 – 10 feet per year. They are able to move into degraded or damaged areas and colonize the area into a monoculture or area where only casuarinas exist. Once established, it radically alters the temperature, light and soil chemistry of beach habitats, and inhibits the growth of native dune and beach vegetation, vital for coastal ecosystems. Unlike native shrubbery, the thick shallow roots of the Casuarina or Australian Pine make it much more susceptible to high winds, leading to increased beach and dune erosion and interference with nesting activities of sea turtles. In hurricane force winds they are often the first trees to be felled. The dense shade caused by the thick Casuarina canopy prevents ground vegetation from getting the sunlight that they need. The mat of foliage prevents soil stabilizing dune vegetation such as railroad vine, sea purslane, beach morning glory , sea oats , bay bean and coral bean. These plants that are suited to the intense heat from the sand and most have strong root systems that bind the edges of the dune. Extensive scientific studies in the Bahamas and in Florida have established that casuarinas will prevent the growth of native vegetation resulting in the decline of the attendant sand dune and exposure to coast erosion.
As Neil Sealey pointed out in his article The Casuarina Controversy we only need to look at what happened at Saunders beach after Hurricanes Floyd, Michelle and Frances, after each of these storms, massive amounts of sand were carried across the road into the Shell Station and elsewhere, and property all along this section was threatened by flooding. One only needs to look at the successful beach restoration at Orange Hill, where native species have replaces invasives and there is now an attractive beach dune stabilized by dune vegetation and a wide and attractive beach.
The monoculture effect of casuarinas displaces native vegetation which provides food and shelter for wildlife. Casuarina invading coastal habitats affects the habitat of nesting sea birds, sea turtles and our highly endangered (IUCN red listed ) Iguana Species. To see the positive effects of the removal of invasive species from the shore line, one lonely needs to look at the study by R. Escobar of Loma Linda University, at Sandy Cay, Exuma which documents invasive Casuarina removal and rodent control and a direct increase in the Sandy Cay Iguana population Cyclura rileyi cristata from 100 to 400 in 10 years.
The Bahamas Government has a National Invasive Species Strategy which lists Casuarina glauca and Casuarina Equisetifolia and a number of other introduced species, and then recommends that they be eradicated or controlled. The strategy is available to the public at www. Bahamas.gov.bs or http://www.best.bs/. The BNT recommends that the public read the strategy which speaks to the impact of invasive species in the Bahamian context. The Bahamas National Trust implements as part of its management plans in national parks the aggressive removal of Casuarina, Brazilian Pepper, Melaleuca and Scaevola from park environs.
Good science and experts say that the answer to the coastal erosion at Saunders Beach is to relocate the road back from the shoreline, remove invasive species and provide parking areas behind the dune, with bridges over the dune to protect it. Misguided but well meaning citizens express the need to “save the casuarinas” a species that is listed as an invasive species in every country where it has been introduced. The government of the Bahamas is following the recommendations of its environmental agencies in the removal of casuarinas from Saunders Beach and in moving the road back from the shoreline. This shows a commitment to our National Invasive Species Strategy and to coastal restoration on New Providence. The Government is committed to replanting the Saunders Beach area with native vegetation which will assist in rebuilding the dune and ensure that our coastline is able to withstand storm surge in an era of climate change and sea level rise.
There is a need for good and accurate information to be available for the Bahamian Public. Opinion is not fact and the BNT will bring together specialists in the field of invasive species and coastal erosion for a public meeting in late September / early October to present and answer questions on these highly topical subjects.