Orfordness - re-grading shingle surfaces

The National Trust has undertaken an experiment to test whether it was possible to regenerate shingle flora on some of the worst degraded and damaged sites. The project was carried out in 2000 as part of the European Union LIFE-Nature project 'WILD NESS - The Conservation of Orford Ness, Phase 2'. The chosen site was selected in an area substantially degraded by military use. Initial work on the ridge to be restored involved the scraping off of the surface shingle to a depth of approximately 18-20cms (below the depth to which germinating seeds will reach).

"The shingle was graded, using an adapted small commercial screener, into four nominal sizes <5mm, 5-15mm, 15-25mm and >25mm. These measurements are representative of the natural sizing recorded on adjacent ridges. This material was then manually and mechanically replaced onto the scraped area in order to reproduce the height, width, spread and size ratios of a section undamaged ridge adjoining the test area."

Five treatments were tried:

• Restored sizing and grading plus added fines and added Silene maritima/Arrhenatherum elatius seed;
• Restored sizing and grading plus added fines;
• Restored sizing and grading plus added Silene maritima/Arrhenatherum elatius seed;
• Restored sizing and grading only;
• Existing 'undamaged' ridge - possible source of colonisation.