Dungeness - summary

Dungeness is one of the largest shingle cuspate foreland structures in the world. The evolution of the site has involved the development of a series of ridges which have progressively been moved by storms to create the parallel lines of ridges and lows shown in the picture opposite. The site supports significant invertebrate populations and despite the considerable level of destruction and disturbance an extensive area of mature shingle vegetation.

Caption: The parallel ridges of vegetated shingle with unvegetated 'lows' between.

It is a well-studied geomorphological system with extensive and intensive human activity affecting the surface shingle. Losses of the surface shingle through gravel extraction are considerable with up to 20% of the surface destroyed. Disturbance including building of infrastructure (including the Nuclear power stations) has caused major disruption to the surface ridge structure and its vegetation amounting to a further 50% loss. Today only approximately 30% of the surface retains the original ridge structure, a small proportion of which retains intact vegetation. Despite the adverse treatment it has received in the past, it remains one of the most important shingle sites in Europe and has been declared a National Nature Reserve.

An important feature of the site is the shingle recycling which is required to protect the nuclear power station buildings. This effectively prevents the 'natural restoration' of the shingle surface through erosion and accretion.

Comment: The site has been the subject of detailed scientific studies which are summarised in the following publications (Ferry & Waters 1985; Ferry et al. 1989; Ferry 2001; Doody 2001 Chapter 9). Site management and restoration activities were also reviewed in the context of preparing the more detailed Guide to the Management and Restoration of Coastal Vegetated Shingle, see Annex 05 Dungeness.

References

Doody, J.P. 2001. Coastal Conservation and Management: an Ecological Perspective. Kluwer, Academic Publishers, Boston, USA, 306 pp. Conservation Biology Series, 13

Ferry, B. & Waters, S. 1985. Dungeness: Ecology and Conservation. Nature Conservancy Council, 144 pp. Focus on nature conservation

Ferry, B. 2001. Vegetation of the Dungeness shingle: aspects of biodiversity. In: Ecology & Geomorphology of Coastal Shingle, eds.Packham, J.R., Randall, R.E., Barnes, R.S.K. & Neal, A.Westbury Academic and Scientific Publishing, 224-241.

Ferry, B., Waters, S. & Jury, S.L. 1989. Dungeness: the Ecology of a Shingle Beach. Academic Press, London, 179 pp. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 101