The document provides guidance on studying coastal sand dunes, including describing the flora and fauna found in different areas of dunes and explaining how environmental conditions affect plant and animal life. It also discusses sustainable management of dune systems, identifying potential conflicts between dune users and strategies for conserving dunes for future generations, such as managing threats from human activities that cause erosion. The document uses Ainsdale Dunes as a case study location.

1. Coastal
Environments
Sand dunes

2. Coastal Dunes
You must be able to
• Describe, in general terms, the flora
and fauna found at an area of dunes
• Link these to conditions in the dunes
• Describe how the area is being
conserved and the strategies to ensure
it is managed sustainably
• Identify conflicts that might arise
between different users of this
environment
You should be able to
• Describe in more detail the flora and
fauna found there
• Explain the links between the
environmental conditions and the types
of flora and fauna found there
• Explain how the management strategies
are sustainable and how some of the
conflicts can be reduced

3. Why study sand dunes?
What are sand dunes like and why are they like this?
Sand dunes

4. Example
Ainsdale Dunes, South Lancashire

6. Sand dunes: Ainsdale Dunes

9. Sand dunes at Ainsdale
During the video, make notes on the following:
 How dunes form;
 How the following change inland from the beach:
 dune height and age,
 wind speed,
 vegetation type and amount,
 soil pH and organic content,
 fresh water availability
Why are these last
two important?

10. Sand dunes
1. On a sheet of plain A4 paper, sketch the dune profile at
Ainsdale – to show the embryo & fore-dunes and the first,
second and third dune ridges ... example
2. Underneath these ridges, using suitable methods, show how
pH, % organic content, species diversity and % vegetation
cover change along the dune profile.
3. Use the handout and your video notes to explain how coastal
dunes form (don’t include reference to the plants). In your
answer you should refer to the diagram you have drawn in
activities 1 & 2.

11. Sand dunes
4. Describe how the flora changes as you go inland through the
dunes from the beach.
5. Referring to your diagram from task 2, explain why these
changes happen.

12. Sand dunes
6. Copy and complete the following table using the handout to:
a. Describe what these habitats are like at Ainsdale dunes
b. Describe the fauna that’s found there
c. Explain how the fauna is related to the conditions in each habitat:
Habitat Conditions Fauna Explanation
Open sand
Active dunes
Dune slack
Wasting dunes

13. Ideas for presenting data

14. Ainsdale Dunes: Management
1. Outline some of the conflicts that exist between different
people who want use these dunes
2. Choose two threats to these dunes. For each one:
a. Describe it and explain why it’s a threat
b. Describe and explain how it is being sustainably managed – so
that it reduces the conflicts and ensures the dunes are available
to future generations
Sustainable: allows people to keep using the environment
without damaging it so that future generations can use it too

15. Sand dunes at Ainsdale
What are the impacts of human activity on the sand dunes?
http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-line/heritagemanagement/erosion/index.shtml
Useful dune site from Scottish heritage

16. Dune Regeneration
South Milton Sands, Devon

17. Dune regeneration at South
Milton Sands

18. Dune regeneration at South
Milton Sands

19. Dune regeneration at South
Milton Sands

20. Dune regeneration at South
Milton Sands
1. Dune regeneration is a form of soft engineering. What
does this mean?
2. Why were the dunes under threat at South Milton Sands,
Devon?
3. How have the dunes been regenerated here?
4. Do you think this is a sustainable approach to managing
this part of the coast? Justify your answer.