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HAP Target 1 - 'No net loss' - summary
This target includes a general presumption against further loss of habitat
as a result of development. Included within it is the recognition of the dynamic
nature of many shingle systems, which tend to migrate along the coast or landward.
Set against this target is the fact that shingle is a major source of material
for the construction industry, derived from both land-based and marine sources.
They also provide sites for building infrastructure such as nuclear power stations
and houses and are used as a recreational resource. They provide important 'natural'
coastal
defences, which are often augmented by artificial structures, in
the belief that this is essential for the protection of life, land and property.
This requires a hierarchy of information, which helps to establish at different
scale, namely:
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Guidance: Achieving a 'no net loss' target requires an understanding
not only of the inherent properties of the shingle habitats themselves,
but also of the factors that influence their development. Thus in addition
to establishing 'context' it is also necessary to recognise the importance
of sediment supply (or lack of it, as in sites with a finite
sediment supply) and sediment dynamics when determining management
policy.
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