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Cayeux-sur-Mer, Picardy
Geomorphology
An area of tidal land 'protected' by a 17km shingle bar/spit. A sea wall, created
on a shingle ridge, adds additional protection to the area from the sea and
storms. The lowlands of Cayeux is a large site much of which is below mean sea
level. This site "perfectly illustrates the shortcomings of current shoreline
management practices in France." Lowering and weakening of the barrier
by shingle extraction has caused flooding. Following a severe storm in 1990
the interested parties (landowners, mostly farmers) instituted a policy of protection.
Today the groyne field is one of the densest in Europe with 90 over a stretch
of coast 9km long. Nourishment of 300,000m3 over the last 10 years has also
been required to 'stabilise' the structure."
| Guidance: The activities described above render the prediction
of future responses of the barrier to storms very difficult (Anthony
& Dolique 2001). There could merit in investigating this site
further to ascertain the long term consequences of the aggressive protection
measures. |
Nature conservation value
The wind, the salt transported by the wind and the lack of soil are responsible
for for the development of a unique vegetation on the shingle ridges, without
trees or bushes. The poor quality of grass is responsible for a low density
of cattle on the meadows. The lowlands of Cayeux are known because of the reserve
du Hâble d'Ault, a large area of shingle and sand with very sparse vegetation.
This is an important area for breeding Kentish and Little ringed plovers. In
the past vegetation has been cleared to retain open shingle for these nesting
species.
References
Anthony, E.J. & Dolique, F.
2001.
Natural and human influences on the contemporary evolution of gravel shorelines in Northern France between the Seine Estuary and Belgium.
In: Ecology & Geomorphology of Coastal Shingle, eds.Packham, J.R., Randall, R.E., Barnes, R.S.K. & Neal, A.Westbury Academic and Scientific Publishing, 132-148.
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