Lectures - Coastal dunes

22 important questions on Lectures - Coastal dunes

What key factors controll the dune vegetation?

Storm erosion and salinity
● Elevation
● Beach width
Sedimentation dynamics
● Beach width
● Topographic shelter
Negative plant-soil feedback

What type of process is dune building?

A biogeomorphic process.
  • Rate of sedimentation exceeds rate of erosion
  • Vegetation increases sedimentation and decreases erosion

What habitat types are present in dunes?

1. Beach
2. Embryonic shifting dunes
3. Shifting dunes (white dunes)
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Why is the beach "plant-hell"?

  • Below mean high tide line
  • 2x per 24hrs submerged by sea water
  • Extreme fluctuations in environment
    • Temperature, moisture, salinity
  • Low in plant nutrients (N, P)
  • Sand movement = mechanical stress

What species survive?

Diatoms (single cell algae).

By what is the lowest position of embryo dunes determined?

By storm surges.

Why does Ammophili need fresh sand for optimal growth?

◼ Fresh nutrients
◼ Escape microorganisms feeding on roots

What species are typical for the beach?

Diatoms.

What species are typical for embryonic shifting dunes?

Elytrichia juncea, Biestarwegras, Sandcouch

What species is typical for shifting dunes (whites dunes)?

Ammophila Arenaria, Helm, Marram grass.

What is different for the beach and shifting coastal dunes in comparison to fixed coastal dunes?

  1. The origin of the sand
  2. Exposition
  3. Rabbits

What is the origin of the sand from the Holland coast?

• Sediments Rhine & Meuse
• High calcium content
• Rich in shells

What is the origin of the sand at the Zeeland coast?

• Sediments from Schelde
• Intermediate calcium

What habitats are found in fixed dunes?

1. Dune grasslands
    a. Pioneer calcareous
    b. Calcareous
    c. Acidic
2. Hippophae dune scrub
3. Wooded dunes
4. Humid dune slacks

What identifies calcareous, pioneer dune grasslands?

Hot, dry, hardly any humus layer, poor in organic matter and nitrogen, southexposed slopes.

What identifies acidic grasslands?

Humus layer,built up of organic layer, podzolisation, also outside dunes.

What identifies calcareous dune slacks?

Calcium from calcium-rich sediments and/or calcium-rich seepage.

What identifies acidic dune slacks?

Decalcified sediments, rain water.

What species are typical for Hippophae scrubs?

Hippophae rhamnoides, Duindoorn, Sea buckthorn.

What species is typical for wooded dunes?

Geum urbanum, Geel nagelkruid, Wood avens.

What species is typical for calcareous humid dune slacks?

Epipactis palustris, Moeraswespenorchis, Marsh helleborine.

What species is typical for acidic humid dune slacks?

Sphagnum sp, Veenmossen, Peat mosses.

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