A family has decided to build their dream house on a dune on the shore of Lake Michigan. Their plans call for the natural vegetation to be dug up and construction begun. What are some possible consequences of their actions?

Question 9 options:

a)

Nothing would happen to the natural dune growth.

b)

After construction is completed, dune migration would stop.

c)

Removing the sand may increase beach erosion, and the area may suffer nearshore flooding.

d)

All of the above

c) Removing the sand may increase beach erosion, and the area may suffer nearshore flooding.

Explanation:

It's since the removal of the sand along the beaches shores will result in more erosion and thereby the increase chances of the flooding along the beaches and this can have serious damage to the ecology of the surrounding areas. Thus there is a risk of high tides and the risk is also associated with the development of large tidal inlets and the occurrences of large storm waves.

C)

Explanation:

The removal of natural vegetation would affect the growth of the dunes in a negative way for the family. While it may seem to them like a good idea to uproot the local vegetation, this would be a grave mistake since beach vegetation is largely responsible for protecting the integrity of the beachfront and protecting it from rampant erosion by wave action.

Another unexpected consequence would be the changing patterns of dune movements since vegetation also anchors dunes.