Invasive plants of sand dunes - summary

Sand dunes provide ideal conditions for the invasion of alien plants, because of their open and often unstable nature. Of the 900 or so vascular plants found on sand dunes in Great Britain only some 400 are truly native (Ranwell 1972a).

Dunes also provide a habitat for exotic species such as the rhododendron, found at Winterton Dunes NNR in Norfolk, the tree lupin at Dawlish Warren in Devon (also an invasive plant in the USA) and the pirri-pirri bur at both Lindisfarne NNR in Northumberland and at Studland Dunes NNR in Dorset. The first two species may form dense scrub, eliminating the natural dune vegetation. The third does not pose a major threat to nature conservation interests, and most of the other 'alien' species fall into this category. Eliminating the aggressive woody plants requires follow-up treatment which often involves the use of herbicides.

Comment: The most prolific and invasive plant is Hippophae rhamnoides and there are several example of attempts to control the species.

References

Ranwell, D.S. 1972a. Ecology of Salt Marshes and Sand Dunes. Chapman and Hall, London, 258 pp.