Pioneer Species Information Board, Binnendünen Nordoe

They open up new habitats before anyone else:
Pioneer species are well adapted to survive in extreme, nutrient-poor conditions. Thanks to this advantage over other species, they can be the first to colonize new, vegetation-free areas. The open, dry and nutrient-poor sandy soils of the North Oer inland dunes also belong to the typical pioneer locations.
Silvergrass is one of the first settlers on dry, agitated sandy soils. Its bushy growth habit helps the species to collect rainwater over a large area and direct it from the tips to the roots. These reach down to a depth of 50 centimetres, which means that the silver grass can tap into the few nutrients available in the sandy soil.
In contrast, the sand sedge has a straight rootstock several meters long that protrudes below the surface of the soil. Sprouts grow from this every 5 to 10 centimeters. Because of this phenomenon, the sand sedge is also called "God's sewing machine". Thanks to the fine roots close to the surface, the species does not depend on water in the soil, but can absorb the moisture from the surface. The plants strengthen the loose sand of the dunes with their roots.
The whorled chickweed is one of the pioneer species.
However, the "Red List species" grows on wet sandy soils.

An information board about the so-called "pioneer" plant species in the North Oer inland dunes. The inland dunes Nordoe are a nature reserve in the Schleswig-Holstein municipalities of Dägeling, Kremperheide and Breitenburg in the Steinburg district.