The Dune Environment
The coastal environment is
a continually changing one. Coastal dune systems are constantly influenced
by wind, water and temperature conditions. Together with tidal and
wave action, sand is moved around, sometimes resulting in significant
erosion of the foredunes. Movement of dry, loose sand is responsible
for shaping the dunes.
As coastal environments are mobile and complex systems a range of
plant communities can be found in a narrow strip of coastal vegetation
typical of what remains along the coast around Perth. A range of plant
adaptations have evolved as a result of how dunes are constructed.
Picture: A typical dune cross section showing the various zones
from the very mobile beach front to stable secondary dunes further
inland.
Those plants that form at the very front of a dune system are termed
pioneer plants as they have adapted to grow in strong winds,
shifting sand and salty conditions.
Once these plants have stablised, the sand foredune plants
can begin to establish, gradually building the height of the dune.
As time goes on, sheltered positions are created that enable different
plants to establish, climaxing in large trees in the secondary
dune phase.
Plants perform several functions in a coastal environment, with some
of the main ones being:
- Contribute to the nutrient
cycle and maintain moisture within the upper sand profile.
- Anchor the soil and act
as a buffer against wind and water erosion.
- Trap water, sand and salt
acting as a protecting barrier to more inland vegetation.
These dune zones can be
found in the local coastal areas in the Town of Cambridge.
Cambridge Coastcare (Inc)
Copyright 2007. Disclaimer.
