Coastal sand dunes are found on coastlines around the world and support a high level of biodiversity, including many threatened plant, insect and animal species. These dynamic ecosystems are shaped by four key elements: sand, wind, water and vegetation. Sand is the basic material dunes are made of; wind speeds need to be fast enough to pick up the sand grains and move them; groundwater near the soil surface is necessary for dune wetlands to form; plants themselves are the fourth agent, which helps create different types of dune. Together, these forces shape dune landforms and the plant and animals that live in the dune system.
Unfortunately, dynamic dune systems with naturally blowing sand no longer occur across most of the UK and north-west Europe. Most dune systems now consist of stabilised dune landforms covered in vegetation. This has resulted in loss of habitat and a decline in many rare species.
Fortunately, there are a wide range of dune management options available to address these issues.
This handbook aims to keep our management techniques up to date for the needs of dune conservation in a variety of situations
