management intervention cannot wait for the development of a full understanding
of the relative controls of dune mobility. Rather, a carefully monitored remobilization program needs to be pursued. In addition to safeguarding the species
dependent on mobile dunes, this will no doubt provide additional understanding of
factors affecting mobility. It seems that dunes have moved from being possibly
unnaturally mobile in the 1950s to a state of stability today that has been driven at
least in part by unnatural factors. If this process had not been influenced by
humans and represented part of the natural evolution of dune systems, we would
not be recommending intervention.
However, since this is clearly not the case, we would argue that there is an urgent
requirement to partly reverse this trend or we will continue to witness the loss of
suitable habitat for rare and uncommon species. Our strategic goal, therefore, is to
increase levels of dune mobility on a range of targeted sites, but this will need to be
supported by clear scientific rationale so that both regulators and stakeholders can
appreciate why this is necessary. However, this will only be successful if resources
are made available to compensate those affected by such measures.
References
Achermann B, Bobbink R (2003) Empirical critical loads for nitrogen. Proceedings of expert
workshop held in Berne, Switzerland, 11–13 Nov 2002. Environmental Documentation
No.164. Air., Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape SAEFL, Berne
Arens SM, Geelen LHWT (2006) Dune landscape rejuvenation by intended destabilization in the
Amsterdam water supply dunes. J Coast Res 22:1094–1107
Arens SM, Slings QL, Geelen LHWT, Van der Hagen HGJM (2012) Restoration of dune
mobility in The Netherlands. In: Martínez ML, Gallego-Fernandez JB, Hesp PA (eds) Coastal
dune restoration. Ecological Series, Springer-Verlag (in press)
Bobbink R, Willems JH (1987) Increasing dominance of Brachypodium pinnatum (L.) Beaur. in
chalk grasslands: a threat to a species-rich ecosystem. Biol Conserv 40:301–314
Bobbink R, Hornung M, Roelofs JGM (1998) The effects of air-borne nitrogen pollutants on species
diversity in natural and semi-natural European vegetation—a review. J Ecol 86:717–738
Carter RWG (1991) Near-future sea level impacts on coastal dune landscapes. Landscape Ecol
6:29–39
Dargie TCD (1995) Sand dune vegetation survey of Great Britain. A national inventory. III.
Wales, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough
Davidson-Arnott RGD (2005) Conceptual model of the effects of sea-level rise on sandy coasts.
J Coast Res 21:1166–1172
Erlandson JM, Rick TC, Peterson C (2005) A geoarchaeological chronology of Holocene dune
building on San Miguel Island, California. Holocene 15:1227–1235
Everard M, Jones L, Watts B (2010) Have we neglected the societal importance of sand dunes?—
an ecosystem services perspective. Aquat Conserv MarFreshwat Ecosyst 20:476–487
Fowler D, O’Donoghue M, Muller JBA, Smith RI, Dragosits U, Skiba U, Sutton MA,
Brimblecombe P (2004) A chronology of nitrogen deposition in the UK between 1900 and
2000. Water Air Soil Pollut Focus 4:9–23
Hesp PA, Thom BG (1990) Geomorphology and evolution of transgressive dunefields. In:
Nordstrom K, Psuty N, Carter W (eds) Coastal dunes: processes and morphology. Wiley,
Chichester, pp 253–288
140
P. Rhind et al.
of the relative controls of dune mobility. Rather, a carefully monitored remobilization program needs to be pursued. In addition to safeguarding the species
dependent on mobile dunes, this will no doubt provide additional understanding of
factors affecting mobility. It seems that dunes have moved from being possibly
unnaturally mobile in the 1950s to a state of stability today that has been driven at
least in part by unnatural factors. If this process had not been influenced by
humans and represented part of the natural evolution of dune systems, we would
not be recommending intervention.
However, since this is clearly not the case, we would argue that there is an urgent
requirement to partly reverse this trend or we will continue to witness the loss of
suitable habitat for rare and uncommon species. Our strategic goal, therefore, is to
increase levels of dune mobility on a range of targeted sites, but this will need to be
supported by clear scientific rationale so that both regulators and stakeholders can
appreciate why this is necessary. However, this will only be successful if resources
are made available to compensate those affected by such measures.
References
Achermann B, Bobbink R (2003) Empirical critical loads for nitrogen. Proceedings of expert
workshop held in Berne, Switzerland, 11–13 Nov 2002. Environmental Documentation
No.164. Air., Swiss Agency for the Environment, Forests and Landscape SAEFL, Berne
Arens SM, Geelen LHWT (2006) Dune landscape rejuvenation by intended destabilization in the
Amsterdam water supply dunes. J Coast Res 22:1094–1107
Arens SM, Slings QL, Geelen LHWT, Van der Hagen HGJM (2012) Restoration of dune
mobility in The Netherlands. In: Martínez ML, Gallego-Fernandez JB, Hesp PA (eds) Coastal
dune restoration. Ecological Series, Springer-Verlag (in press)
Bobbink R, Willems JH (1987) Increasing dominance of Brachypodium pinnatum (L.) Beaur. in
chalk grasslands: a threat to a species-rich ecosystem. Biol Conserv 40:301–314
Bobbink R, Hornung M, Roelofs JGM (1998) The effects of air-borne nitrogen pollutants on species
diversity in natural and semi-natural European vegetation—a review. J Ecol 86:717–738
Carter RWG (1991) Near-future sea level impacts on coastal dune landscapes. Landscape Ecol
6:29–39
Dargie TCD (1995) Sand dune vegetation survey of Great Britain. A national inventory. III.
Wales, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough
Davidson-Arnott RGD (2005) Conceptual model of the effects of sea-level rise on sandy coasts.
J Coast Res 21:1166–1172
Erlandson JM, Rick TC, Peterson C (2005) A geoarchaeological chronology of Holocene dune
building on San Miguel Island, California. Holocene 15:1227–1235
Everard M, Jones L, Watts B (2010) Have we neglected the societal importance of sand dunes?—
an ecosystem services perspective. Aquat Conserv MarFreshwat Ecosyst 20:476–487
Fowler D, O’Donoghue M, Muller JBA, Smith RI, Dragosits U, Skiba U, Sutton MA,
Brimblecombe P (2004) A chronology of nitrogen deposition in the UK between 1900 and
2000. Water Air Soil Pollut Focus 4:9–23
Hesp PA, Thom BG (1990) Geomorphology and evolution of transgressive dunefields. In:
Nordstrom K, Psuty N, Carter W (eds) Coastal dunes: processes and morphology. Wiley,
Chichester, pp 253–288
140
P. Rhind et al.