Sand dune - State 1, Erosional

A dune which is in a state of erosion will have extensive areas of mobile sand devoid of vegetation. Typically both along the dune front and in the body of the dune major sand drift can be seen occurring. This may be a natural state in dry climates, especially deserts, but where it occurs in temperate climates it is often caused by a combination of storms and human activity.

Examples of this state appear to have been common in historical times. These include the large areas of mobile sand which were present in the Danish dunes in the 16th which prompted a Royal Decree in 1539 prohibiting the removal of any vegetation (Skarregaard 1989). Similarly on the Sefton Coast a major storm in 1739 caused sand to drift 1.5km inland and created a landscape described some years later as being like the "Sahara Desert" (Smith 1999). More recently still Culbin Sands in Scotland was described as 'desert-like' before the massive afforestation took place (Ross 1992). In the early 1950s Braunton Burrows also had extensive areas of eroding dune

Caption: Drifting sand overwhelming tourist facilities on the coast of northern France.

Examples of significant loss of sand dune vegetation continue to occur today (see picture opposite) although much less frequently than in historical times. The most extreme form appears to be the erosion of Machair in western Scotland (Angus & Elliot 1992 ) and most significantly in Ireland.

Comment: Although this state is generally considered requiring remedial action to be taken to prevent erosion it does have a number of values. A distinction should also be drawn with mobile dunes which are part of the natural cycle including early stages of succession and blow-outs within the body of the dune, considered as State 2 dunes.

References

Angus, S. & Elliot, M.M. 1992. Erosion in Scottish machair with particular reference to the Outer Hebrides. In: Coastal Dunes. Geomorphology, Ecology and Management: Proceedings of the Third European Dune Congres, eds.Carter, R.W.G., Curtis, T.G.F. & Sheehy-Skeffington, M.J.A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, 93-112. Abstract...

Ross, S. 1992. The Culbin Sands - Fact and Fiction. Centre for Scottish Studies, University of Aberdeen, 196 pp.

Skarregaard, P. 1989. Stabilisation of coastal dunes in Denmark. In: Perspectives in Coastal Dune Management, eds.van der Meulen, F., Jungerius, P.D. & Visser, J.H.SPB Academic Publishing bv, The Hague, 151-161.

Smith, P.H. 1999. The Sands of Time: an Introduction to the Sand Dunes of the Sefton Coast. , 196 pp.