Sands of Time Title
This site provides detailed information on the sand dunes of the Sefton coast in North West England
Home Page
Coastal Change
A History
Physical Forces
Growth & Erosion
Future Change
Managing Change
Primary Succession
Model of Succession
The Strand Line
Embryo Dunes
Mobile Dunes
Blow Outs
Semi-fixed Dunes
Fixed Dunes
Dune Slacks
Dune Heath
Scrub
Woodland
Vegetation/Soil Data
Studying Succession
Pine Plantations
Syllabus Information
Synthesis
Biology
Environment
Geography
Coursework
Project Objectives
Project Partners
Project Funding
Publications
Related Links
Semi-fixed dunes
 

If conditions remain stable at the sand surface Red Fescue and mosses (for example Tortula ruraliformis) will continue to cover the bare sand between the patches of Marram.

 
Tortula ruraliformis covering the sand surface
Tortula ruraliformis covering the sand surface
in the semi-fixed dunes
 

In these semi-fixed dunes

  • Restharrow Ononis repens

becomes very common. This plant is a legume; its root nodules contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen to nitrate, a major plant nutrient. Species diversity continues to increase. Examples of plants common in the semi-fixed dunes are:

  • Sand Sedge Carex arenaria
  • Birds Foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus

See vegetation data with reference to quadrat 4.
 
Restharrow growing on semi-fixed dunes
Restharrow growing on
semi-fixed dunes
 
For more information about this project email dunes@hope.ac.uk at Liverpool Hope University College.
Go to the site of English Nature Go to the site of Liverpool Hope College  

Liverpool Hope Univerity College is working with English Nature and the
Sefton Coast Partnership to implement the Sands of Time project.