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Acidification of sand dune vegetation - Terschelling
Increased levels of air pollution and the resulting 'acid
rain' are implicated in the sometimes rapid change in sand dune vegetation.
On the island of Terschelling (The Netherlands) there has been a significant
increase in grasses and mosses in the dry calcium-poor dunes since the 1980s.
The lichen-rich communities which characterised these areas have been replaced
by Carex arenaria and Ammophilla
arenaria. This has partly been attributed to accelerated soil acidification
due to 'acid rain' (Ketner-Oostra 2001).
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Guidance: Acidification at this site has been slowed by nourishing
the beach with sand which has a high calcium content. It is not clear
from the description whether the increase in sand sedge and marram is
due to increased sand mobility or not. More information is needed before
any recommendation can be made for this to be a suitable way of reversing
dune acidification.
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References
Ketner-Oostra, R.
2001.
Expected positive effects of shoreface nourishment on the vegetation of calcium-poor dunes at Terschelling (The Netherlands).
In: Coastal Dune Management: Shared Experience of European Conservation Practice, eds.Houston, J.A., Edmondson, S.E. & Rooney, P.J.Liverpool University Press, 59-62.
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