Military use on sand dunes

Military use of dunes has a rather paradoxical position in the recent history of dune conservation. It seems clear that during the Second World War many were used for training and as a consequence large areas of vegetation were destroyed and the sand exposed. At Braunton Burrows for example some 100 ha of sand dune vegetation was 'destroyed', though replanting helped stabilise the system.

Paradoxically military use has helped protect a number of dunes from the worst ravages of agricultural reclamation and afforestation which have occurred on other systems since the war. Amongst these the most significant is Morrich Mhor (Ross & Cromarty), though Torrs Warren (Dumfries and Galloway) and Tywyn Gwendraeth (West Glamorgan) are also of national importance (Ratcliffe 1977). The direct impact of the vegetation is limited to the area immediately in the vicinity of the targets which are themselves widely separated. In each case their use (mainly for bombing practice) has created relatively little widespread disturbance of the natural vegetation.

References

Ratcliffe, D.A. 1977. A Nature Conservation Review: the Selection of Sites of Biological National Importance to Nature Conservation in Britain. 2 Volumes. Cambridge University Press.