Effects of biochar and charcoal on soil-hydraulic properties
ERG Sandwich Project Presentation_Final
1. Ecohydrological Investigation of Habitat
Change within Amenity Managed Dune
Systems
Interpreting sand dune habitat change at Sandwich Bay
using sequential NVC surveys and hydrological analysis
Dr Graham C J Earl
Coastal Ecohydrological Researcher
Canterbury Christ Church University
2. The Sand Dune Survey of Great Britain (Radley & Dargie, 1995)
gives the total area of sand dunes as:
11,897 ha in England
8,101 ha in Wales
48,000 ha in Scotland
3,000 ha in Northern Ireland UK total 70,998 ha
The UK has 2,752 golf courses (8% of the worlds courses)
208 are Links golf courses, an estimated 24,960 ha of dunes
(35.4% of the UK sand dunes)
Why the Interest in a Managed
Landscape?
3. Sandwich Bay is designated a Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
under the EU habitats directive (92/43/EEC) due to the presence of
fixed grey dunes, the only such area present in the South East of
England;
Other designations include:
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
Special Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI)
Special Protection Area (SPA)
RAMSAR Site (internationally recognised wetland)
National Nature Reserves (NNR)
Why is Sandwich Bay of Interest?
8. Why are the vegetation communities changing?
What are the possible driving factors behind this?
Can management of the landscape help restore or
maintain plant communities?
What can be done……..?
Questions Arising from Past Data?
9. Research was undertaken between 2011 to 2014, to investigate
the change and influences the management, as recommended
in the 2009 Sandwich Bay report (Dargie, 2009).
Research Focus
The possible interactions of physicochemical values within
the groundwater, e.g. phosphate;
The interactions between vegetation communities and
nutrient levels;
The possible influences from golf course management;
The possible long-term increase in the water table – driven by
sea-level rise?
Overview of Research
10. Dipwell Positions
Across Sandwich Bay
Hydro-chemical analysis was
undertaken by installing
dipwells/bore holes to 3 metres
depth across Sandwich Bay;
Samples were taken on a
quarterly basis;
Hydro-chemical analysis was
analysed to identify trend in
ground water chemistry and
species compositions.
11. Water samples collected monthly June 2012 – November 2012,
with a further collection quarterly from March 2013 – June
2014, and analysed for:
Sodium (NaCl)
Potassium (KCl)
Total oxidised nitrogen (TON; NO2 + NO3)
Phosphate (P)
Ammonia (NH3)
pH
Electrical conductivity (EC)
Chemical Analysis
15. Quadrat NVC data
mapped as non-spatial
geographical grid
reference;
Observed trend in plant
community change in
nutrient and moisture.
Red arrows show a
negative movement;
Blue arrows show a
beneficial movement.
Quadrat
Analysis
17. The effects of ground water
chemical composition has no
significant relationship with plant
species composition;
Water table height did have a
significant relationship with plant
species composition;
Over the study period there was an
overall continued moment of plant
species composition towards
increased water and nutrients.
Results of the Hydro
chemical Analysis
18. Latin square 4x4 design;
4 treatments:
Burn
Sward removal (6-10 inches of surface soil removed)
Cut/remove
Control (do nothing)
Random treatment allocation across columns and rows;
NVC protocols were used to record species compositions.
Field trials were repeated at 3 locations: Princes GC, RSGGC, and
RCPGC.
Field Trials
21. Treatments A (cut and
remove) and B (burning)
indicated a significant
relationship in
encouraging SD8 species
composition;
Trajectory analysis of
management trial
treatments A and B
shows species dynamics
over time;
Arrows indicate direction
of species change.
Analysis of
Management
Trials
22. Conclusions
Historic and current data suggests that SD8 fixed dune grassland is
changing quite rapidly to MG1 and MG12 (neutral grassland);
Analysis indicates that long-term increase in the water table rather than
an increase in nutrients, is the predominant cause of plant community
change;
Changes in management of the dune systems has proven to beneficially
aid restoration and limit external influences in the environment.
The research undertaken has helped change the SSSI status of the dune
systems at Sandwich Bay from unfavourable to unfavourable recovering.
23. Funding support: RCPGC and Natural England;
Access permission and other support: RCPGC, RSGGC and
Princes GC, Alan Husk, and Sandwich Bay Residents;
There is no such thing as a lone study, the project would not
have been successful with help and advice from: Phil Buckley,
David Ponsonby, Alex Kent, John Hills (CCCU), Phil Williams
(Natural England), Tom Dargie (Boreas Ecology), Paul Larsen
(RSGGC), Sean McLean (Princes GC), Green Keepers at all
courses, Students at CCCU and Friends.
Acknowledgements
